Amethyst Eyes
by bishounen lovah
Summary: Tomoyo is a psychic who witnessed a kidnapping in her dreams. Eriol is the cop in charge of the case. Will she tell him? Will he believe her? AU. R&R PLS. *FIN*
1. Tomoyo

**BISHLOV NOTES:**

[1] This story is an AU.  There is no magic, Clow Cards, and Sakura and Syaoran were never card captors.  However, Eriol and Syaoran did go to Tomoeda as exchange students purely for academic purposes.  S+S got together but the gang lost touch of Eriol after they graduated from elementary.

[2] Tomoyo is 24 years old while Eriol is 25.  I don't know if they are actually of the same age but I like the idea of Eriol being older.  Please don't hold this decision against me.  Also, Tomoyo moved to Tokyo where Eriol (unknown to everyone) works as a police detective.

[3] The plot is mainly suspense but romance between E+T will appear later on.  I borrowed the idea of Tomoyo being a psychic and Eriol being a cop from a movie but I forgot its title ^_^0.  However, the circumstances behind Tomoyo's visions of kidnappings and subsequent happenings are my ideas.

[4] If you think this story had already been done, I'm sorry.  I am not aware of it and I most certainly did not copy this from any other fan fictions.  Please inform me the title and/or story ID of the similar fic so I can verify it.

DISCLAIMER:  I do not own CCS or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

AMETHYST EYES 

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 1

She was standing beside a dirt road in the middle of the woods.  It was eerily dark and quiet.  No moon or stars illuminating the area.  No owl or crickets disturbing the silence.

She was scared but couldn't make her legs to move.

A distant sound caught her attention.  It sounded like an automobile and it was coming closer.

_Flash!_

The headlights blinded her.  She averted her eyes and didn't see what kind of car it was and who was driving.  But she heard it.  She clearly heard the cries of a child.  Heart wrenching sobs that sent shivers all over her body.

When she opened her eyes, she was no longer standing in the woods but sitting in a dark room.  She hated the dark.  It was a phobia she can never get over.  And to worsen the situation, she was also claustrophobic.  She could sense the walls closing in on her.

She felt the blood drain from her face.  She tried to move, needed to get out.  But her hands and feet were tied to the chair.  She tried to scream but her mouth was gagged with a thick cloth.

_Footsteps coming from above!___

A door behind her opened and she heard the footsteps going down the wooden stairs.  She cried out in surprise when a large shadow appeared before her.

"My seventh," the shadow whispered.  "You will bring me my first."

What he meant, she did not know.  She cringed as she felt his rough palm graze her cheek before moving to her chin.  He tilted it up and forced her to look at his eyes.  She could not see them but she knew they were dark and evil.

Tears instantly flooded her eyes.

"Such beautiful eyes.  But they are not the same."  The shadow suddenly grabbed her shoulder and shook her furiously.  "I want my amethyst eyes!  Give me back my amethyst eyes!"

~End of Dream Sequence~

Tomoyo opened her eyes and realized that she was sitting up on her bed.  She looked around her dimly lit room and saw that everything was in order.  Her eyes landed on the large mirror attached to her cabinet.  She was sweating profusely, her perspiration mixing with her tears.  She woefully watched as her dark eyes returned to its original color.

"No.  Not again," she whispered.

She could not keep the tears from falling.  She raised her knees, wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her head.  Sobs could be heard escaping her lips and could be seen as her shoulders shook.  When her tears abated, she stood up and changed her pajamas to jeans and shirt.  She went out of the bedroom and purposely strode to her studio.

_Perhaps work can make me forget_, she thought.

She blindly attacked the canvas in front of her with her brush and paint.  She painted nonstop until the morning sun came up.  Its rays poured from the window forming a natural spotlight on the canvas.

Tomoyo's rapid movements stopped and she stood there with an unbelieving look on her face.  She dropped her brush and palette and went to the kitchen.  She poured herself a glass of water and drank it continuously.  On her third glass, she moved away from the sink, turned on the small television on the counter and sat down wearily at the table.

Sounds from the TV filled the room but she didn't hear them.  All she could hear were the cries of the little girls in her dreams.

But they were no dreams.

They were real.  She knew they were real.

The first time she had one of these 'dreams' she was just nine years old.  The dream had plagued her for several days.  She cried for the child just like she cried right now.  But that was all she did for she was but a child herself then.  She mistook it for what it was.  A dream.  A nightmare.

She had forgotten all about it until she had the second set of dreams.  She was twelve.  They were the same dreams only much clearer and that the child was different from the first one.  But both were girls and had amethyst eyes similar to hers.  She doesn't know how she knew both but she did.  She never saw them but instead she became them…the victims.  She saw whatever they saw.  For seven nights straight, she saw the way the dark shadow tortured the girl.

This time she told her mother but she didn't believe her.  Sonomi Daidouji just dried her frightened daughter's tears and took her to a therapist.  There she was convinced that none of them were real backed up by a call to the local police station.  They said that no girl with purple eyes was missing.

The third set of dreams came when she was fifteen years old.  By then she knew they were no ordinary nightmares but premonitions of some sort.  She directly went to the police but no one believed her primarily because dreams were not hard evidence and secondly there was still no report of missing purple-eyed girls.  The police laughed at her but her mother's money and influence made them shut up and forget the whole incident.

Sonomi gave Tomoyo a lecture about protecting the family name but she still insisted on going to the police when she had the fourth dream.  She was eighteen and had a mind of her own.  This time someone filed a missing report.  A seven year old, purple-eyed girl went missing while playing near the woods.  The police thought it a coincidence and still did not believe her and mocked her for they believed that psychics were just con artists.  They never did find that girl and Tomoyo knew they never will see her alive.  She was dead just like the other girls.

When she was twenty, the dreams came to her again and still she went to the police.  The media got hold of the story and turned her into some kind of circus freak.  Everyone ridiculed her and her dreams, forcing her to move out of Tomoeda.  Her mother did not take her seriously while Sakura and Syaoran only supported her because she was their friend and not because they believed her.

The night she left her hometown was the night she prayed for the soul of the little girl.  She tried to help her, Kami-sama knows she did but no one believed least of all tried to help her.

She cursed this 'gift' of hers.  It had brought nothing but pain and humiliation.  She tried to bear the humiliation but could never get over the pain.  Pain she felt through empathy with the girls.  Each dream came to her clearer and clearer.  The woods.  The dark room.  The shadow man.  Amethyst eyes and the number seven.  The only thing that wasn't constant was the victim.  Each set of dreams meant a different girl was taken away from her home and her family.

And now, another one was taken.  That would be six.  Five dead girls and in less than seven days another one will die.

_I can't do this anymore_, Tomoyo sobbed.  _I can't stand the rejection…the ridicule._

_Have you forgotten that this was never about you_, a voice in her head answered back. _ It's about those little girls.  You have to try again so their souls may rest in peace.  You have to try again for the sake of the one who's alive…for the sake of her family.  For some reason you can see through their eyes.  You are their only hope._

A news report being aired on the TV caught her attention.  It was about a girl kidnapped shortly after midnight as she and her parents were going home from a party.  The police refused to give any details for the safety of the child.

Tomoyo knew that she was the one.  The sixth victim.  She stared at the screen, confused at what she should do…if she was going to do something.  She watched as police officers weaved around the crime scene.

But it was the man with indigo hair and wire glasses that caught her eyes.  She quickly moved nearer the TV and watched the man who was questioning the parents intently.

_Could it be_, she wondered.  Any doubts in her mind disappeared when she heard the reporter say the name of the cop in charge of the case.

Her eyes shone with hope as she raced to get her coat and keys, aware of the pair of eyes quietly watching her movements.  The amethyst eyes freshly painted on the canvas taunted her and beseeched her at the same time. 

Eriol Hiiragizawa.  I can tell him.  He can help me.

To be continued…


	2. Eriol

**BISHLOV NOTES:******

[1] Thanks for reviewing guys.  I know shouldn't be mindful of how many I get but I can't help it ^_^0.  I always want to know if I'm still doing a good job or not and if people are still reading (and enjoying) my fics.  Anyways, arigatou to all of you who did.  I really appreciate it.

[2] I'm glad that nobody seems to have used this plot already.  I'm really looking forward in making this story.

[3] I borrowed the name Nakajima from the anime You're Under Arrest! for one of Eriol's cop pals.  As I've said in my other fics, I'm not that good in making up Japanese names.  I just recycle those that I know from anime.  Oh and I do not own the anime You're Under Arrest! or the name Nakajima either.

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own CCS or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

AMETHYST EYES 

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 2

Eriol slumped on his chair tiredly not bothering to take off his coat.  He had been up and about since the ungodly hours of the night investigating the Mori kidnapping.  There was a great pressure on him primarily because Keiko Mori happens to be the godchild of the chief of the Tokyo Police Department.  He had been subtly ordered to find the little girl alive and well as soon as possible unless he wants to 'retire' early from his career.

Nine hours had already passed since the abduction and still there were no leads.  All he had were the testimonies of the parents.  None of the neighborhood residents (where the party they attended was held) had seen or heard anything odd prior to the incident.  And still no ransom notes or phone calls were received.

He had a gut feeling that none will be delivered ever.  Thankfully, the media was not giving him a hard time and complied with the wishes of the police and the family to keep the case hush-hush.  Everything is being done for the sake of the child.  But still he can't shake off the feeling that he was missing something.

"Oy, Hiiragizawa.  I didn't know you were back." Nakajima, one of his colleagues, exclaimed when he saw him.

"I just got here.  Please tell me you've got something for me on the Mori case," Eriol sighed in desperation at the suddenly grinning man.

"Sorry.  No such luck.  There is, however, a distressed beautiful woman waiting for you in the conference room.  I volunteered to help her with her problem but she was adamant in talking only to _Hiiragizawa__-kun_."

Eriol's eyes slit in suspicion.  For the entire five years of his stay at TPD, he was always the butt of the joke when it comes to women.  The others had always teased him how he never had a girlfriend to bring at the department outings and parties.  There were rumors flying around the building (and sometimes outside) that he might be gay or maybe was secretly harboring the pain of a lost love.

He didn't mind any of those.  He didn't care.  All he cared about was doing his job and being good at it.  And right now he needs to save that missing girl _and_ his job.

"I'm busy right now, Nakajima.  I don't need your practical jokes at a crucial case like this."

"Hey I'm not kidding, man.  Go see for yourself.  She'd been waiting there for an hour now.  She said her name was…" Nakajima assumed a serious thoughtful look before grinning sheepishly.  "You know what?  I think I didn't hear her name at all.  I was too busy admiring her beautiful face and bod."

"You're useless," Eriol grinned at his friend.  Sometimes he doesn't know how Nakajima stayed on to being a cop when he easily gets distracted whenever a woman (or anything with big breasts) walked by.  But what he couldn't understand was how his wife can take his wandering eyes.  Eriol shook his head in distaste.  He wouldn't do any of those to his wife…if and when he has one.

His thoughts reverted back to the 'distressed woman' as he strode towards the conference room.  What could she possibly want from him?

_Hiiragizawa__-kun.___

Nakajima stressed those words telling him that it was how the woman had called him.  In all of his years here in Japan and all of the people he met, only one person called him such but thought it quite impossible for her to find him here.  He had lost contact of her and his other childhood friends since they started high school.

_Iya__.__  Must be a coincidence_, he said to himself as he opened the door.  He stood in shock as he realized that he was wrong after all.  The woman was sitting with her back to the door and was too lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear the sudden rush of noise entering the quiet room.

Eriol shook his head to get rid of the shock and closed the door behind him.  He could recognize those thick, dark tresses anywhere.  Her hair was the same as when they were kids.  The silky mane curtained her small back and curled right above her waist.  He had never seen any hair as beautiful as hers.

"Daidouji-chan?"  Although Eriol was sure it was she, he wanted to reassure himself that this was no dream.

He held his breath in his throat as he watched her head raise and turn towards him.  Her gorgeous purple eyes lit up when she saw him and quickly stood up and walked towards him.  He stood there, his eyes fixed on her lovely face.  He had always known that she will grow up to be a beautiful woman but still he can't believe that what he's seeing right now was so much more than he had imagined.

"Hiiragizawa-kun," she whispered in her melodious voice, "I knew it was you.  I was beginning to think that I imagined seeing you on TV.  I'm so glad to see you again."

_TV?__  Ah yes, the news_, his mind started to work again.  He quickly assumed a professional manner and ignored the warmth seeping through his body as he heard her words.

"Surely you didn't come here just to see how tall I've grown, Daidouji-chan?"

He watched the expression on her face fall.  He gave himself a mental kick.  Here she was, going out of her way to see him and all he did was make a joke out of it.  He sighed inwardly because the pressure on the Mori case was really getting to him and it hasn't been a day yet.

"Gomen nasai.  That didn't come out the way I wanted.  Why don't we take a seat although I can't be long since I'm very busy."

"I know.  I heard it on the news," Tomoyo said quietly, her clear purple eyes darkening a bit.  "Actually, that is why I came here."

"You're not a photo-journalist are you?"  Eriol thought in slight panic and amusement.  He wasn't supposed to talk to anyone from the media but he doesn't know if he had the will to say no to her.

"Iie.  I'm here to talk about the girl who'd been kidnapped."

He watched her in silence, his curiosity growing by the second.  He can see that whatever she was going to say must be pretty hard.

"I…I saw what happened.  I saw him taking her from her family."

Eriol sat up straight to catch what she was saying.  Her voice was soft but he knew he heard her right.  "Were you there?  Why didn't you come forward sooner?"

"Iie, I wasn't there," Tomoyo looked at him with teary eyes, asking him to believe her.

"Wait a minute.  I thought you said you saw the perpetrator kidnap the girl?"

"I did but I wasn't there.  I saw them…" Tomoyo took a deep breath before speaking again.  "…I saw them in my dreams."

He looked at her oddly trying to decipher what she told him.  Tomoyo was never the one who told false stories.  In fact, it was him and Takashi Yamazaki who told such tales.  But still it was hard to believe.

"You're telling me that you saw the crime in your dreams.  Did I get that right?"

Tomoyo nodded briefly before gathering all her courage to tell her story.  She started right from the start although she had cropped it short.  She told him her nightmares, her experiences from the police in Tomoeda and the insults that she got when everyone found out.

Eriol wanted to believe her but his training as a cop forbid him.  He just sat there and listened intently looking for inconsistencies in her story.  He found none but still her confession was unreliable.  There was not a single hard evidence (well except for that missing girl reported in Tomoeda).  Much as he wanted to believe her, he couldn't afford to do so.  The life of a child was at stake here. 

"So basically, what you're telling me is that you're a…you're a…"

"I'm a psychic."

_Right.__  And I'm a dragon slayer_, he can't help but think dubiously(AN: hi hikari!!!).  He stared at the woman in front of him, his eyes not wavering a bit.  He had learned this trick at the Academy.  It was supposed to intimidate suspects and hostile witnesses to tell the truth.

"You don't believe me," she said in a quiet voice.

"You have to admit it's quite farfetched."

"Don't you get it?"  Tomoyo slammed her fists on the table, her eye flashing with anger and tears.  "For fifteen years that man has been killing innocent children.  And in less than seven days another girl is going to die.  This man is smart.  You won't be able to catch him.  He has evaded the police for more than a decade."

"He won't be able to evade me, Daidouji-chan. I will catch him."

"Fine!  Don't believe me!  But let me tell you this…he won't stop.  Not until you give him his amethyst eyes."

With that, Tomoyo stormed out of the room leaving behind a dumbstruck Eriol.  He had never heard her raise her voice in anger before.  He had never seen her lose her composure.  Cool, elegant Tomoyo was always composed.  But that wasn't the only thing that surprised him.  Her last words struck a nerve.  

_I want my amethyst eyes.  Give me back my amethyst eyes._

Those were the words coming from the kidnapper's mouth according to the parents.  They told him that he kept on muttering about amethyst eyes all throughout the abduction.  Eriol had already guessed that the child was kidnapped because of the perpetrators obsession about purple eyes and not because of money.

_How did she know about the amethyst eyes?_  Eriol mused.  Nobody knew about that detail except him, the parents and the chief of police.  All the media (and his colleagues) knew was that the kidnapped child was a seven-year-old girl.

If Daidouji-chan was telling the truth, she's probably having those dreams because she had something in common with the victims…they all have amethyst eyes.

Eriol stood up, deciding to take the chance.  The investigation was at a dead-end anyway, he might as well check out Tomoyo's story.  He went to his desk and logged on to the police database.  He entered a search for missing children, aged six to ten, and has purple/amethyst eyes.

He leaned back on his chair and waited for the result.  It will take some time since he's searching in the network of police databases all over Japan.

From what he understood, only one girl was reported missing in Tomoeda.  That meant that the other girls were kidnapped in areas places other than Tokyo and Tomoeda. 

He closed his eyes and tried to get rid of the image of an angry Tomoyo Daidouji but couldn't.  She looked even more stunning when her face was flushed and her eyes shiny with anger.  Even though he was checking out her story he hoped that she was lying or maybe mistaken.

If Daidouji-chan is telling the truth, it could mean one thing.  There's a demented traveling serial killer on the loose.

To be continued…


	3. Tomoyo

BISHLOV NOTES: 

[1] I borrowed the names of the 'victims' from other anime (see last chapter for explanation).  From Gatekeepers I got Megumi and Feye.  From Magic Knights Rayearth I got Hikaru and Umi.  From Sakura Wars I got Ayame.  And from Yu Yu Hakusho I got Keiko.  I don't own any of these anime or the names of their characters.

[2] My deepest gratitude to all of those who had been sending their reviews.  Please continue to do so for you are my source of inspiration.  Too mushy?  Well, I meant every word of it.

DISCLAIMER:  I do not own CCS or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional. AMETHYST EYES 

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 3

Tomoyo had been fuming mad all the way home.

She was mad at Eriol Hiiragizawa because he had doubted every word that she said.  There she was going out of her way to give him vital information about his case and he didn't believe a single word of it.  Didn't he realize that she had nothing to gain and everything to lose in stepping forward?

She was mad at the world because not a single soul had ever taken her seriously.  Instead they all mocked her because of her gift.

Gift?  What gift?  What I have is a curse.  I must have done something horrible as a child in order to be given this curse.

Most of all, she was mad at herself.  All those children were dead because she wasn't able to convince anyone of the danger they were in.  And now another one will die because she was stupid enough to think that Hiiragizawa was different from all the others.

_Damn!  Damn him!_  Tomoyo punched the seat beside her.  The old lady sitting across her on the train gave her a worried and nervous look.  Tomoyo smiled apologetically at the woman and mentally counted to ten to calm herself.

She reached forty-seven.

By the time she got home she was physically, mentally and emotionally tired.  She had been awake since the wee hours of the night and now it was almost lunchtime.

Sounds coming from the kitchen greeted her.  In her haste to find Hiiragizawa, she had forgotten to turn off her TV and lights.  She proceeded to switch them off then strode to her bedroom, paying no attention to the soft growl of her stomach.

She pointedly ignored that part of her apartment where her conscience stood in the image of her most recent painting.  She knew that if she sees those amethyst eyes again, she would breakdown and cry.

Rest.  That's what I need.  I need to rest.

Without bothering to change her clothes, she fell on the mattress face down.  She fell asleep almost instantly.  An hour later, she flipped on her back and started thrashing around her bed.

~ Dream Sequence~

The sound of the door slamming jolted her awake.  She shrunk against the chair as the dreaded footsteps came nearer and nearer.  She cringed as she felt the now familiar calloused hand on her cheek.

"Have you been a good girl while I was gone," a raspy whisper was heard from the shadow man.

Her eyes filled up with tears yet again as she looked pleadingly at the man.  She wanted to go home.  She didn't want to stay in this small, dark room anymore.  She wanted him to take pity on her and let her go unharmed.  But the man just gave him a sick, obsessed look as he stared at her shiny eyes.

"Don't be scared.  I won't leave you alone anymore.  See…I've brought you some company."

She heard him drag something across the floor.  The room was dark but her eyes were already accustomed to the darkness and the light coming from the open doorway illuminated the room a tad brighter.  She saw that a table was wheeled in front of her.  There was something on the table but she couldn't see what because it was covered by a dark cloth.

"Their names are Megumi, Hikaru, Feye, Umi and Ayame.  You'll like them.  They're just like you."  With that, he grabbed the edge of the cloth and pulled it away.

There on the table lay five glass canisters filled with a clear liquid.  There were something suspended in each canister and she strained her eyes to see what they were.  She let out a muffled gasp when she realized what they were.

Five separate pairs of eyes looked back at her.  The small orbs floated inside the canisters, slowly sinking towards the bottom.

The tears started falling then.  Fear clutched her heart as she looked at the shadow man gaze lovingly at those eyes.

"Such beautiful eyes.  And soon yours will be joining them, little one."  He let out a crazed laugh as he walked out of the room, leaving her alone in the dark with the amethyst eyes.

~End of Dream Sequence~

Tomoyo woke up bathing in her own tears and sweat.  Her heart was beating furiously; so much that she was having trouble breathing because of the force on her ribs.  She had not expected to have another dream this soon.  They always came during the night and looking at her clock on the bedside table it was just half past four in the afternoon.  And her dream…

It was different from those she had before.  Never before had she seen those amethyst eyes.  This was the first time she saw them.  Seeing them made her shiver from anger, fear and depression.  The man had not only kidnapped, tortured and killed those girls but had also desecrated their bodies by dissecting their eyes out of their skulls.

And he said their names.  She now knows who those girls were.

A faint glow of hope shimmered in her eyes through her tears.  The names were like a lifeline to her.  Another means to convince Hiiragizawa that she was telling the truth.  The dream scared the hell out of her but they gave her strength just the same.

She was more convinced than ever to get some help.  She could not let Keiko Mori die in the hands of that bastard.  She will not let him kill another innocent child again.

Picking up her phone beside the clock, she quickly dialed TPD and asked the operator to connect her to Detective Hiiragizawa.  But it wasn't him who answered the phone.  It was that other cop, Nakajima, who did.  He said that Hiiragizawa left the building and didn't know where he went.

_Great_, she said to herself as she place the phone back on its cradle.  _What am I going to do now?_

A bath.  God, I need a bath.  Perhaps the water would clear my mind.  After that I just might be able to know what to do next.

She tried not to recall the dream that she had just had.  It was too disturbing for her to relax, least of all enjoy her bath.  After soaking in her tub for nearly forty minutes, she emerged from her room cool and composed in a white sleeveless dress that hugged her upper body and flowed past her waist.  She tried calling Hiiragizawa again but he was still out and would probably not return until the next morn.

With a sigh of resignation, she decided to wait until then.  She refuses to talk to anyone else besides him.  Despite of his rejection of her, she still trusts him.  

He may not believe her but she knew he would not do anything to humiliate her publicly.

Her doorbell rang twice thirty minutes later.  Thinking it was the pizza that she ordered, she quickly opened her door.  Her breath got stuck in her throat when she saw that it wasn't the pizza delivery boy who rang the bell.

Standing in the hallway was Eriol Hiiragizawa.  He was not smiling that arrogant smile he always had since elementary days.  Instead his mouth was tweaked up slightly in a tentative smile as if he was sending a silent apology to her.

"May I come in," he asked quietly when a couple of minutes of silence passed.

Tomoyo snapped out of her trance and wordlessly opened the door wider.  She felt a slight hesitation in letting him in due to their unpleasant encounter earlier but there was something in his blue eyes that mesmerized her to calm down.

His eyes held the apology and belief that she craved for.

To be continued…


	4. Eriol

**BISHLOV'S WORDS OF GRATITUDE AND OTHERS:**

**Fuu****:**  Thanks for the review.  I'm glad you liked this story.

**Wei****:**  Thanks for your words of encouragement.  I know I am too stuck up with the number of reviews I get.  I try not to be but I guess I need other people's reviews to inspire me.  Yours is greatly appreciated.

**hikari****:**  I am so sorry if I scared you with the 'guy and stuff'.  I couldn't help it.  It was too great of a temptation.  I might even add much more morbid stuff so if I were you I'd read this during daytime.  Well, not this chapter just yet.

**Yori-chan****:**  Thanks for the praise.  I'm glad you like this.  And yes…jars.  Glass canisters to be more precise.  The dude's a sicko because I made him that way.  Just goes to show that I'm a sicko too.  Hehehe.

**blue**** eyes:**  Thanks for reviewing.  It is greatly appreciated from the bottom of my fat, er, heart.

**Mei-Hua****:**  Thanks for the all caps.  As you may have noticed, I had already posted two more chapters and this would be the third one.  I hope you loved them as much as the first chapter.

**The Great One:**  I think this is cool too.  It's very different from my other fics.  And yes Tomoyo does have purple=amethyst eyes.

**Silver Hawk:**  Spiffiness?  Uh, thanks (I think) ^_^0.  Sorry for confusing you in the last chapter.  I would like to clarify that I only borrowed the NAMES from the other anime and NOT THE CHARACTERS themselves.  I am not knowledgeable when it comes to Japanese names (although Feye is really a Chinese name) so I get the names for my OC from the various anime that I watched.  I know that Hikaru's eyes are reddish whilst Umi's are blue but that's in MKR and not in this story.  Actually I love Hikaru's eyes…they are so unique.  Anyways, the bad guy in this story left the amethyst eyes (which are in the jars) with the kidnapped girl in that dark room.  Am I still confusing you?

**NiSsA-cHaN****:**  Glad to know that I'm not on a down slope when it comes to this fic.

**b****:**  Thanks for the good words.

**Dark Water Tiki:**  Thanks.  Now you'll know what's going to happen next for I give you Chapter 4.

**kawaii**** imouto:**  I'm writing.  I'm writing.  Well, typing to be more precise ^_^0.

**anjali-chan****:**  'So far' is the right term to use.  Let's see if I can keep up with the nice praises that you guys are giving me and not suck as each chapter goes by just like in my other fic '**Yukito's**** Little Secret**'.  Did you notice that I just plugged my other fic in my message of thanks to you?  Hehehe.  Sorry about that.  Couldn't help myself.  Back to your review.  Yes he is twisted.  After all, a twisted mind can make such a twisted character.  Bwahahaha!!!  Thanks for reviewing '**H-moon Jitters 2**' too.  Oops, I did it again!

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own CCS or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**AMETHYST EYES**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 4

A couple of minutes of silence passed between them.  Both of them stood in the middle of the living room, staring at each other.  Eriol was having trouble breathing.  It started when the door opened and revealed the very beautiful Tomoyo Daidouji.  Sure he saw her earlier but the white dress made her all the more stunning.

It clung to her loosely but was not loose enough to stop him from flustering.  The dress was not daring.  In fact it was a simple number but its simplicity emphasized the woman's beauty tenfold.  Her hair was pulled back from her face in a messy bun with loose strands framing the side of her face and grazing her bare shoulders.

Her skin was creamy white and flawless as far as he can see.  He resisted the urge to touch her and just kept on looking.  Her full red lips were slightly parted as though she was having difficulty in breathing herself.

Damn.  I'm turning into a hentai like Nakajima.

But it was her expressive eyes that caught his attention.  The purple eyes were flickering various emotions like surprise, confusion, relief, and…was that joy or did he just imagine it?

He was not able to answer the question because at that moment her eyes darkened and hardened.

"Why are you here, Hiiragizawa-san?"

Eriol winced at the anger in her voice and his sudden demotion from 'kun' to 'san'.  He could not blame her though.  It's hard when no one believes you or takes you seriously.  Of course what she confessed to him was unbelievable but nevertheless he should have given her more benefit of the doubt.

"I came here to apologize."  There was a slightly bitter taste in his mouth.  He was not used to apologizing and admitting that he erred primarily because he was rarely wrong and rude.

But there was always a first time for everything.

"Apologize for what?" she asked in a sarcastic tone.

God, she was determined to make him suffer.  It irritated him as well as amused him.  She hasn't changed at all.  She's still as subtly devious and mischievous as before.

"For not taking you seriously.  For not giving you the benefit of the doubt."  For not comforting you when you were obviously frightened and suffering.

"You don't look like you mean it."

"Damn it, Daidouji-chan!  I'm here, aren't I?"

He regretted the outburst as soon as it escaped his mouth.  "Gomen nasai.  I shouldn't have shouted like that."

"Iie," came her quiet reply after a brief pause.  "I shouldn't have goaded you in the first place.  Are we friends again?"

The moment his hand touched hers, he felt a jolt of electricity come out of nowhere.  Even after she pulled her soft hand from his, he could still feel his palm tingle from the touch.  He tried hard not to look at his hand but instead balled it into a fist.

"You're not just here to apologize, are you?"

Eriol followed her gaze to his left hand where he held a large manila envelope.  "No.  I mean, yes.  That was not my only reason.  I wanted to show you something."

He began to pull out the contents of the envelope but was interrupted when the bell rang.

"That must be the pizza I ordered," she said as she rushed to open the door.

He can't help but notice the tinge of relief he saw in her eyes and heard in her voice.  Why was that?  Did he do something wrong again?

He watched her smile brightly at the delivery guy and immediately wished to be that guy at that moment.  He shook his head at the nonsense.  Sure she has a heart-stopping smile but he shouldn't wish to trade positions with anyone especially not to a pizza boy.

He decided to look around her apartment.  His eyes darted everywhere and anywhere as long as it's not on the dark haired woman.  There were lots of books on the bookshelf at the far end of the room and decided to look at them.  Once he finished browsing on the book skeletons, he found out that they shared similar tastes in literature arts.  Most of the books that she owned, he already have while those he doesn't were on his shopping list for his next trip to the bookstore.

Which won't be anytime soon if I don't solve this kidnapping immediately, he thought as his hand clenched on the manila envelope.  He shot another look at the door and found the pizza guy standing there alone.  She must be getting some money.

His eyes roamed around the room once more and this time he noticed something.  There were no framed pictures anywhere.  That was extremely odd to him because, if his memory served him right, Daidouji loved to take picture of everything.  Her favorite model was Sakura Kinomoto but not a single photo of her could be seen.  Nor were there pictures of her mother, Sonomi Daidouji.

Eriol's keen mind took note of this for further musings.  He was wrong to think that she had not changed.  The more he spent time with her, the more he realizes that she had indeed changed.

She had lost that innocently gay look of hers and was replaced by forced maturity.  Her lustrous eyes were dulled by, what he suspects, pain and depression.  And her bright smile, no matter how cheerful she made it be, was of no caliber to what he knew back in grade school.

He looked at her with sympathy, feeling pain for his childhood friend.  He could only imagine the devastation that she felt whenever she had those dreams…those nightmares.  The devastation that she apparently feels even when she was awake.

Yes, he believes her now.  Not only because of the proof that he now held in his hand but because of what he saw in her eyes earlier that day.  He realizes now that nobody could fake such mixture of emotions.

Sympathy.  Fear.  Disgust.  Horror.  Anger.

Her eyes flashing with intense anger and hatred for that man in her visions was something he would never forget.

Eriol found himself in front of a covered canvas.  He was in a slightly partitioned area of her apartment that obviously served as her studio.  He gave in to the temptation and gently tugged on the paint stained cloth.

His breath got stuck in his throat with what he saw.  The painted amethyst eyes were looking at him with so much fear that he had to take a step backwards from the canvas.

The paint was still slightly fresh which meant that she had just done this twenty-four hours ago.  Maybe less.

Was this what Keiko Mori's eyes were showing?

A shuffling sound broke through his thoughts and saw that Daidouji-chan was looking at him with sad eyes.

"I painted that hours before dawn…after my first dream."

"First dream?  You mean you had another?  Can you tell me what happened in that dream," he asked anxiously.

Daidouji flashed him with a smile that has little or no warmth at all.  "Later.  But first, let's eat.  I haven't eaten anything since dinner last night."

Eriol followed her to the kitchen, not wanting to press her on.  Besides, she did look pale and a little nutrition (even though it was a junk food like pizza) would do her good.  Come to think of it, he needed the nutrition too.  His stomach was now bereft of the small sandwich that he had managed to eat while driving around searching for clues.

He had let her decide the path of their conversation.  They talked about everything except the circumstance that brought them together again.  She told him about their old friends.  Naoko was now a feature writer for the local newspaper in Tomoeda.  Rika was now married to Terada-sensei and is carrying his baby.  Chiharu and Yamazaki have an 'off again, on again' relationship, both of them being stubborn as a mule.  Sakura and Syaoran were planning their wedding that's to be held a couple of months from now.

She asked him about what happened to him after he left Tomoeda.  He told her although there wasn't much to tell about.  He went to high school here in Tokyo and went on to becoming a cop.

For some reason, he had a feeling that Daidouji was stalling.  But all things must come to an end.  Time was ticking for the kidnapped girl and Daidouji was the only one who could help him find her.

"Leave that," he told her when she finished clearing up the table and poised to wash the dishes.  His eyes conveyed the urgent plea that he felt.  She sighed and went back to the chair she vacated.

"I know what you have in that envelope and to tell you the truth I am scared of them."  She quietly said as she looked down at her folded hands.

"They're just pictures, Daidouji-chan."

"Yes but they're the pictures of the girls in my dreams.  It hurts me to think that such innocent children would end up with gruesome deaths what more if I see their faces?"

"Please.  I need you to look at them.  You are my only link, my only hope to find Keiko Mori."

"What is it that you expect me to do, Hiiragizawa-kun?"  She raised her head to look at him with teary eyes.  "Are you expecting me to see a vision if I look or even touch their photos.  It doesn't work that way!"

"You told me you wanted to help.  You told me you didn't want Keiko to end up dead as the other victims.  Onegai, Daidouji-chan."

"Gomen ne.  It's just that I'm so scared."

Eriol moved his chair closer to hers and impulsively pulled her in his embrace.  He let her cry on his shoulder until she couldn't shed a single tear anymore.  "I won't let him hurt you.  I promise."

Several minutes later, she calmed down and nodded her head in affirmation.  One by one, he laid the pictures that he was able to print out from the database on the table before her, including the picture of Keiko Mori.

From the database he was able to find five positive matches of missing person files.  Just as she had said, all the victims were girls and all of them have amethyst eyes.  They went missing in various places in Japan that's why nobody had connected them before.  Another thing that he found intriguing was that all of the girls were seven years old when they disappeared without a trace.

He watched her gaze at the photos.  Her own amethyst eyes showed bravery as well as grief and pain.  She touched them with a finger one by one and to his surprise, she gave their first names correctly.

"How did you…?"  Eriol asked in surprise.

"In my last dream, he told me their names.  He took their eyes, Hiiragizawa-kun.  He killed them and took their eyes."

Bastard!  He felt sick from anger and disgust.  What kind of an animal would do such a thing?  No wonder Daidouji-chan didn't want to talk about it while eating.  It was too much even for him.

He needs to find the kidnapper before he could kill again.  But how?

And then he made a decision.

"I want you to come with me."  He said to her with unwavering determined eyes.

"What?  Where?"

"We're going on a road trip."

To be continued…


	5. Tomoyo

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own CCS or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

AMETHYST EYES 

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 5

They had been on the road for five days now.  Today was the sixth day since Keiko Mori was kidnapped.  And tomorrow would be their last chance to find the girl alive.

Since they left Tokyo, the silence between Tomoyo and Eriol became more and more unbearable.  With each family they visited, they became more frustrated at the way their investigation was going…

Nowhere.

The head of the Tokyo Police Department had authorized this road trip and knew all about Tomoyo's 'gift'.  Eriol had no choice but to tell him in order to gain permission to follow this unusual lead.  His superior was of course skeptical but he allowed Eriol to bring Tomoyo along with him.  He wanted no stones left unturned.  He wanted no leads left unexplored even if the lead was something as silly as a dream…a vision.

He wanted his goddaughter back alive.

And so they left Tokyo on the second day.  Eriol was assigned to question the victim's families and local police.  Tomoyo tagged along to observe and hopefully get a clear vision.

But she couldn't.  She tried everything from touching the victim's personal belongings to hugging family members.  Not a single vision came to her.  All she could sense was the hurt and loneliness and fear that their loved ones felt.

Even in her sleep, there was nothing that could be of help.  There were the usual dark room and shadow man but there was nothing new like that dream she had on the afternoon of the first day.  All she could feel was the child's growing fear and the man's obsession for amethyst eyes.

_Only one more day left and we're still going in circles_, she angrily thought.

"We're here," Eriol's voice jolted her from her thoughts.

Tomoyo looked out of the car window and saw that they were parked in front of a highway motel at the outskirts of Tomoeda.  The feeling of dread that was steadily building inside her, and which she had stubbornly refused to acknowledge, burst because of the enormous pressure.  Her tired face momentarily showed the panic that she felt at being back at the town that had mocked her.

"You don't have to be scared of anything, Tomoyo-chan," Eriol reached over to squeeze her hand in encouragement.

They had long since discarded the formalities of calling each other by their last names.  It seemed quite inappropriate to do so when they were closer to each other than they had ever been before.  Sure they rarely talked about personal stuff since they were working during the day and could barely keep awake afterwards.  But for some reason they did not need to talk.  They just have to look at each other's faces and they would know instantly what the other was thinking and feeling.

Just like this very moment.

She squeezed his hand back and pasted on her most courageous smile.  They got out of the car and Tomoyo waited for Eriol to fetch their bags from the trunk.  She had learned the hard way that there was no persuading Eriol that she could carry her own things.  Instead of wasting her energy arguing with him, she let him do as he wishes and walked beside him as he balanced the bags in each hand.

All throughout the trip, they had stayed in places like this.  This was all their per diem could afford but she didn't mind.  They weren't luxurious but at least they were clean and comfortable.

An old couple greeted them.  Eriol asked for two bedrooms only to find out that only one room was available.

"There's a convention in town so all the other rooms are occupied," the old woman explained.  "This would be the only room available in the whole Tomoeda since even the fancy hotels in the town proper are fully booked.  But you're in luck.  Our vacant room has two separate beds so if you don't mind bunking in together…"

Eriol shot a questioning look at Tomoyo.  She blushed slightly and then shrugged.  She wouldn't mind if he didn't.

"We'll take it," Eriol nodded.

The old man took one of the bags and led the two to their room.  It was big enough for the two of them and the bathroom looked squeaky clean.

The moment the door closed behind the proprietor, a sudden tension passed between them.  Their gazes met and locked, their eyes flickered with nervousness and confusion.  Eriol was the first to break the silence although his sapphire eyes were still locked with her amethysts.

"I'm, uh, going to go get us some dinner.  Would you like to come?"

She quickly averted her suddenly panic stricken eyes.  "I don't know.  I don't think I'm ready to…"

"It's okay.  I'm not going to push you if you're not ready.  Will Chinese be okay?"

"Chinese will be great," she smiled brightly at him, touched yet again at his perceptiveness and kindness.

After he left, she took the longest shower she had in days, knowing that Eriol would be out for quite a while.  She donned on a black fleece jogging pants and a purple baby tee that emphasized the unusual color of her eyes.  She had just finished brushing her hair when he entered the room again

.

"What is it?  You look like you've seen a ghost," she nervously teased when he just stood there and stared at her in an intense way.

"Just hungry, I guess," he said after clearing his throat.  He closed the door and handed her the cartons of food.  He shrugged out of his jacket as he turned on the TV before joining Tomoyo on the floor in the middle of the room.

"So how was Tomoeda?"  She asked as they opened all the cartons.  To be honest, she was really curious at what had happened to her hometown even though she hated the place.

"Same old, same old," he shrugged.  "Even with that convention, Tomoeda is still the quiet, boring place it was when I stayed there."

"That's why they love a good scandal.  The people there need something to perk up their monotonous lives."

"So you think of yourself as a good scandal."

"Now that you've mentioned it, yes.  Funny, huh?"

"Ah.  Then the citizens of Tomoeda must be truly grateful to you since you brightened up one point of their lives."

Right now it was she who was grateful to him.  Whenever their conversation would veer towards her 'gift' and the humiliation and pain that it had brought, he would be able to replace those negative emotions with confidence and sometimes joy.  If she hadn't seen him on TV and went to him for help, she would probably have gone insane from her nightmares.

He doesn't know it but he was her anchor to sanity.  Her glow of light in the darkness of her life.

She loves him for that.  For his kindness and understanding.

Yes, there was no denying it.  Sometime during the six days they spent together, she had fallen hard for him.  At first she refused to believe it but as the days passed she could no longer ignore the wild beating of her heart whenever he would smile at her.  Could no longer ignore the sense of belonging she feels whenever he would enclose her hand in his.

"So I ran into Syaoran and Sakura," he said cautiously, afraid that she would clam up at the mention of their mutual friends from Tomoeda.

"Oh?  Did they recognize you?"

"Yeah, they did."

"What did you talk about?"

"A little bit of this, a little bit of that.  I didn't tell them I was a cop though.  People usually think that cops are jerks.  Why do you suppose that is?"

"I have absolutely no idea," Tomoyo grinned back at him, recalling the first time they met again in the police station after all of those years.  They exchanged cartons and ate each other's food.  That was one of the comfortable habits they had developed in the past few days.

"Did they mention about me," she asked before her mouth closed in on a chopstick-full of his greasy noodles.

"No."

"Did _you_ mention about me?"

"Did you want me to?"  He raised an eyebrow at that.

"No.  I miss their company but I don't want to see them.  Not until this is all over."

As if on cue, the sounds coming from the TV distracted them.  A news flash was aired regarding about the Mori case.  Apparently, news about the kidnapping being connected to several missing children incidents had already been leaked to the media.  The reporter went on with an account about a serial kidnapper on the loose and the police's incapability of linking the kidnappings together much earlier.

Eriol grimaced at the last part.  It was true.  If it weren't for Tomoyo they would still be unaware of the other kidnappings.  Thankfully, there was nothing in the news about Tomoyo or how the police came to be aware of the other children.

"You don't look too surprised," she observed her companion.

"Not really.  I was expecting the chief to drop a hint to the media for the past couple of days."

"But I thought he didn't want to compromise his goddaughter's safety by involving the media."

"You could say that this is the last resort.  There's no other choice but to use the media now.  Perhaps the kidnapper would do something stupid and expose himself now that he knows that he's found out."

"What if that 'something stupid' is killing the girl?"

"He won't do it.  Not until tomorrow.  From what you told me of your dreams, the abductor is a fancy man.  He'll stick to his pattern.  It's a chance we have to take.  There's no other choice because we always end up in dead ends.  With the exception of Keiko Mori, all the other abductions are witness-free."

"Why do you suppose is that?"  Tomoyo wondered out loud.  She had been speculating about that for a long time now.  "If he's so fond of his modus operandi, why did he change his style of kidnapping?"

"Because unlike the first five, he has some demands now.  Remember?  His amethyst eyes?  He wants those goddamned amethyst eyes."

"But what does it mean?"  She sighed in frustration.

"Welcome to the world of police work," he teased to lighten the tension.  "It's hard to make sense of something that doesn't have any sense at all.  And to think that you people kept on looking down on us measly cops."

"I never looked down at anyone," she replied haughtily although her eyes gleamed with laughter.

After they cleared up their meal, Tomoyo went directly to bed.  The moment her head touched the pillow, her eyes closed and promptly fell in a deep slumber.  Eriol watched her sleeping figure for a while before taking a cold shower.

~Start of Dream Sequence~

The moment she opened her eyes, she knew that this was different.  She was no longer in that small, dark room.  Instead, she was sitting on a swing, her feet dangling an inch from the ground.  It was a quiet night…a peaceful night.  Even though the streetlamps were not working, the moon gave away enough light on the entire Penguin Park.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw something flicker in the woods.  Thinking it was a firefly; she jumped off the swing and chased after the flickering light.  She had never seen a firefly up close before.

Deeper into the woods she went.  She did not stop running until she reached a very small clearing.  Suddenly she was scared.  The tall trees were blocking out the moonlight.  No sound could be heard except for the mournful howl of the wind and the rustle of the trees.

An unexpected movement caught her eye.  The shadow man appeared from behind a tree.  He held out a hand as if to beckon her.  She stared at him for a moment, wondering why she could experience de ja vu even in her dream.

"Come to me."

It was a different voice and yet it came from the same man.  The voice was no longer raspy and unnerving.  Instead it was deep and mesmerizing.

And mesmerized, she was.  She took a step forward to him.  And another.  And another.  She slipped her hand in his and was instantly pulled in a tight embrace.

She was having trouble breathing but she didn't struggle.  Not until she heard his next words.

"Such beautiful eyes.  Soon you will be mine, my amethyst eyes."

~End of Dream Sequence~

She struggled to get out of the arms that held her.  She needed to escape from their death grip.  Desperate tears escaped her tightly closed eyelids.  It wasn't until she heard Eriol's voice that she opened her eyes.

"Ssshh.  It's all right.  It's just a dream.  He won't hurt you.  I won't let him."

Her purple eyes filled up again, this time with tears of relief.  She had stopped struggling for quite a while now and was quietly resting against his chest.

"Don't leave me alone," she whispered, scared to have another nightmare.

"I won't," he reassured as he brushed some stray strands of hair from her face.  "Rest now.  I won't let go."

To be continued…

**BISHLOV:**

I do believe I gave enough clues already so, more or less, some of you might have already guessed what's the deal with this story.  Don't write your suspicions in your review though.  It might spoil the fun to those people who haven't connected the dots yet.  Anyways, the truth will finally come out in the next chapter so don't miss it.  It's bound to be mushy too especially since I ended this chapter with our kawaii lead characters on the same bed together.  OHOHOHOHOHOHO!

Don't forget to review, minna, and see you next chappie!  Arigatou gozaimasu!


	6. Eriol

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own CCS or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**AMETHYST EYES**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 6

Many minutes had passed before Tomoyo calmed down from her hysterics.  His arms were beginning to ache from holding her shaking form but he did not mind.  For some reason his heart ached every time a sob would rack her body while his stomach would clench at the obvious distress her visions brought on her.

All he wants to do was to keep her in his protective embrace and kiss her pain away.

Some time in the course of six days since they met again he had fallen in love with her.  He had not thought it possible but he would not deny the truth.  He loves Tomoyo and would do anything to stop her from hurting even if it costs him his own life.

As a child, he had always been fascinated with her.  Not just because of her beauty but also because of her love for life.  At present her beauty was still there even though he thought she was unhealthily thin and frowns at the dark circles around her eyes.  And her love for life was gone, hidden beneath the pain and bad experiences brought upon by her 'gift'.

He brushed her ebony hair from her pale face and rhythmically massaged her back.  Soon her tears abated and her hiccups barely wrenched out of her.

"Would you like to talk about it?" he murmured, his lips moving against her hair.  He felt her head shake in a no and frowned instantly.  It was not wise to bottle everything up but he did not insist.  Perhaps she needed time to think about it.

Eriol started to pull away so he could tuck her in but was stopped when her hands frantically grasped his shirt.

"No please don't leave me alone.  I'm scared, Eriol.  Don't let him get me."

_Him?_  He shot a confused look at her.  One that went unnoticed because she was half back in her dream, reliving it again.  It broke his heart to see that she no longer felt just pain but also fear.

"Hush now.  I won't let him get you.  I'll stay here as long as you need me."  He gathered her in his arms again and eased their bodies on the bed in a comfortable position (though it was a bit disconcerting on Eriol's part).  She automatically pillowed her head on his chest, fanning her hair over his arm that held her close to him.

She looked up at him with glossy purple eyes.  "Thank you."

Gazing at her then, he was tempted beyond endurance.  Tempted to brush his lips against her rosy ones and will her troubles to transfer to him.  Perhaps she needed the kiss too for a fraction of a heartbeat later her lids slowly covered her enchanting eyes and her lips parted just so to let out a soft sigh.

Throwing caution to the wind, his arm pulled her closer to him while his other hand curled against her cheek.  Ever so slowly his face drew nearer to hers, his indigo eyes closing as his lips brushed against hers, feeling exultant joy in finally having her in his arms, warm and willing.

He had kissed a few women before and doesn't deem himself as an expert.  But somehow he knew that no other kiss could compare to the one he was sharing with Tomoyo right now.  He could think of nothing else but the softness of her lips, the warmth of her mouth, her soft body pressed against his and her hand clutching the shirt on his chest.

He wished it could have gone on forever but all things must come to an end.  His ragged breath blew against her face just as hers fanned his.  He looked at her with passion-glazed eyes that swept over her pink-tinged face, memorizing every beautiful detail.

She looked confused.  Why wouldn't she be?  Her life was already complicated as it is.  But Eriol couldn't help it.  He's in love.  He won't be able to let go of her even if he wanted to.  But he wouldn't rush her.  Right now he could back away even for just a little bit.

He gave her another kiss, a chaste one on the tip of her nose.  He pushed her head back on his shoulder, letting her snuggle against him a bit closer.

"Rest now, Tomoyo.  I'll be here when you wake up."

~Morning came~

It was another dead end.  They had just come from the home of the victim kidnapped in Tomoeda.  At least it _was_ her home.  They spent a full ten minutes gazing at a pile of rubble, which was left from the house.  Apparently, years after the child went missing her family moved away, disillusioned that the local police would find their little girl.

After an hour of useless questioning of the neighbors, Eriol decided to wrap it up and head to the Tomoeda Police Station.  They reached the place in no time.  He was about to open his door when he noticed Tomoyo's silent figure.  He automatically reached for her hand and squeezed his encouragement.

"Everything will be all right."

"Promise?"

"Hey, had I ever stirred you wrong?"  He had kept his every promise.  That morning she woke up with him still lying beside her.  Of course, he wouldn't leave her alone even if he had wanted to.  The opportunity to gaze at her beauty with no interruptions was too great to pass out.

They did not make any mention of the kiss they shared.  They didn't need to.  This was not the time to delve on their relationship with just one day left to find the missing girl alive.  But then it doesn't mean that they should be cold or uncomfortable with one another.

"If anyone so much as stare at you, I would beat him to a bloody pulp."

"You would, wouldn't you," she replied in amusement.  With that she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

He watched her climb out of the car openmouthed and did not move until she shot him a look through the windshield.  He jumped out of the car and grabbed her hand.  They walked in the station, hand in hand, oblivious of everything around them.

But it was hard to ignore the stares and whispers from the people in the building.  Even after the years that passed they still remember Tomoyo.  After all, it was rare to find a rich girl claiming that she saw children being abducted in dreams.  Eriol scowled at every one of them.  Despite of what he had said earlier he couldn't beat anyone up especially not inside a police station although he came close when someone rudely pointed a finger at her.

By the time they reached the front desk, Tomoyo's face was as white as sheet.  He squeezed her hand yet again and she squeezed his back.  It was her silent way of saying that she's okay.

"What can I do for you, sir?" the desk sergeant asked although his eyes were on Tomoyo.

Eriol cleared his throat to get the man's full attention then showed him his badge.  "I'm Detective Eriol Hiiragizawa from Tokyo Police Department.  I'm investigating a kidnapping case that's related to a missing person's case here in Tomoeda.  The child's name is Hikaru Takenori.  I'd like to speak to the officer in charge of that case."

"One moment please."  The cop behind the desk picked up his phone receiver and issued his inquiries.  After a couple of minutes he placed the receiver down and faced back at them.  "Chief Hanagata himself would entertain you.  His office is on the fifth floor.  You wouldn't miss it."

"Thank you."  Eriol took Tomoyo's hand again and led the way.  Once inside the elevator he heard her give out a loud sigh.  "Daijoubu desu ka?"

"Daijoubu," she smiled back.  "I know Chief Hanagata.  He's one of the cops that did not ridicule me when I came forward."

"That's good.  It would save me the trouble from beating him up."

The elevator door slid open and a boisterous man instantly greeted them.

"Daidouji-chan!"  She was engulfed in a big hug as soon as she took a step out.  For a moment Eriol felt jealousy but decided that the man was not Tomoyo's type, not to mention that he's old enough to be her father.

"How are you?  It's been a long time."

"I'm well as can be expected.  Hanagata-san, this is Detective Eriol Hiiragizawa.  We came here about Hikaru Takenori."

Eriol did not miss the way the older man's eyes darken.  Even his movements changed, almost cautious.  He was hiding something.  That was the impression Eriol got.

"Yes, yes.  I saw the news last night although I wasn't sure if Takenori's disappearance was related.  Come, let's talk in my office."

Hanagata led the way.  Eriol did not take his eyes off him.  There was something about this man but he couldn't point his finger on it.

"So what can I do for you?"  He sat behind his desk and motioned for them to take the seats opposite him.

"I'd like to know everything about the Takenori abduction and what your department did about it."

"You must understand, Detective Hiiragizawa.  There was no evidence of the child being abducted.  There was no ransom note either.  We had no lead to where the child went."

"Surely you don't think that she just disappeared into thin air?  Nor is a child that age capable of running away?"

There was silence in the room as both men stared hard at each other, both sizing each other up.

"Let's cut to the chase, Chief Hanagata.  I know you know something.  As a cop you know that it's against the law to keep any information that may be vital to an ongoing investigation."

Still silence.

Tomoyo looked from one man to the other, confused at what's going on and who's telling the truth.  "What's going on, Hanagata-san?  Is he right?  Are you hiding something?  Please tell us.  A girl's life is in danger."

Tension filled the room.  It was visible from the old man's face that he was having an inner debate with himself.  Eriol was going to argue with him again but was stopped when Hanagata reached in his collared shirt and took out a silver chain with a key hanging from it.  He rubbed it thoughtfully for a while then stood to walk to a file cabinet.  He slipped the key in the bottommost drawer and reached deep inside.

He sat back on his chair with an old folder in his hand.  Eriol and Tomoyo waited expectantly at him.

"Hikaru Takenori was not the only girl who went missing here in Tomoeda.  There was another one before her."

Without further ado, Hanagata threw the folder on his desk none too gently causing its loose contents to spill out.  It was as if time had stopped.  On top of the pile was an old photograph of a little girl.  Nevertheless, it was clear who the girl was.

It was a photograph of seven-year-old Tomoyo Daidouji.

To be continued…

**BISHLOV:**  Sorry for the delay, people.  Aside from FF.net's problems my PC decided to boycott me too.  If you guys want to be notified when the next chapter is posted kindly leave your email addresses in your reviews and I'll send you a warning.  Btw, thanks a bunch for your reviews.  You guys are the greatest!!!


	7. Tomoyo

**DISCLAIMER:  I do not own CCS or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.**

**AMETHYST EYES**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 7

_No!  It can't be!_

But somehow it made sense.  It was why she had those dreams.  Why she was inexplicably afraid of the dark and enclosed spaces.

_My seventh.__  You will bring me my first._

It was what the shadow man had said to Keiko Mori in her dream.  Seven abducted girls…

And she had been the first.

Keiko.

Ayame.

_Such beautiful eyes.__  But they're not the same._

Umi.

Hikaru.

_I want my amethyst eyes._

Feye.

Megumi.

_Give me back my amethyst eyes._

"Tomoyo-chan."

Yes.  She had been the first.  How…why…she doesn't know.  But she can feel it…the man's touch.  She could hear his voice with such clarity that he could as well be standing right next to her.

"Tomoyo-chan!"

_Don't touch me.  Her skin crawled at the flashing memory of him touching her cheeks, fingers brushing her hair, and his eyes staring deeply into hers.  She could feel his hands sliding up her arms and grasping her shoulders._

"Get away from me!"

Her sudden movement caused her chair to tip over.  She would have fallen had it not been for the arms that encircled her body.  She struggled to get free but they wouldn't let go.  After a while, something else penetrated her reeling senses.  It was that deep smell she had become familiarized to.  The smell that was uniquely Eriol.

"It's okay, Tomoyo-chan.  It's me.  I'm here."

"Eriol-kun." Instantly her hands clutched his shirt and she lifted her head to his.  Amethysts met sapphires, both pairs shining with deep emotions that are difficult to fathom.  The only ones evident are the fear in the former and the worry in the latter.

"Here, sip this." A glass of amber liquid was brought to her lips.  The deep taste of brandy invaded her taste buds and scorched her throat, causing a fit of coughs.  But the liquor did manage to give her some warmth aside from the body heat radiating from Eriol.  The next thing she knew she was back on her chair but this time cradled in his arms and sitting on his lap.

She may have thought their position a bit disconcerting but made no move to protest.  She was struck by the feeling of rightness and belongingness of having her cheek feel the mesmerizing rhythm of his heart.  Of his hands rubbing her back and squeezing her hands.  She found comfort and security in them as though after so many years of traveling alone, she had finally found the place where she was meant to be.

"Daijoubu desu ka?"

She nodded her head in response.  Sounds of movements reminded her that they were not alone.  Much as she wanted to stay in Eriol's protective circle, there were too many questions that were needed to be asked to ease her confusion.

She vaguely remembers the fear.  The memories were incomplete to the point of being nil.  It feels as though they were not part of her and she was just watching them like some dark movie.  What had happened?  Why can't she remember?  Why did they keep it from her?

So many questions...but all she could utter was a tiny "why?"

"Because I didn't want you to get hurt."  All three jumped as another voice came from the door.

"Okaasan."

Tomoyo stared at Sonomi Daidouji with a slightly open mouth.  Her mother looked exactly the same when she last saw her except that worry lines and a frown marred her regal features.  Behind her a couple of bodyguards dressed in black closed the door and stood to block the inside from curious eyes.

"Tomoyo, dear."

Tomoyo stood to acknowledge her mother but didn't let go of Eriol's hand.  She did not return Sonomi's hug and kiss.  It was hard to act warm when you're confused and feeling somewhat betrayed.  Her mother knew something and yet said nothing.

Chief Hanagata produced another chair for Sonomi and afterwards perched on the edge of his desk.  Eriol pulled two chairs together and sat beside Tomoyo, never once leaving his suspicious gaze at the two older people.

"I suppose now you'll tell us the truth," he said with a calm voice although inside he was raging because of the deceit the two had obviously pulled on Tomoyo.  He watched Hanagata give the Daidouji matriarch a nod then she shot him a reluctant look.  Even now, she still wanted to uphold the lie.

"To begin with, how did you know we were here, Daidouji-san?"

Tomoyo was content in letting Eriol handle everything.  Right now he was the only person she trusts.  It seemed as though her mother turned into a stranger.  She watched in surprise as she took out a pack of expensive cigarettes.  She never knew her mother smoked.  But then she never expected that her mother would keep secrets from her either.

Secrets that were meant to be her memories.

"Tomoyo's bodyguard informed me," Sonomi let out a cloud of bluish smoke.

"Bodyguard?"  This was another surprise to Tomoyo.

"Yes.  Surely you didn't think I would let you live alone in a crowded city without protection?  She lives in the apartment above yours.  She followed you in your cross-country expedition then called me last night to inform me that you were back in Tomoeda.  To be truthful, I do not approve of this little stunt you're pulling."

"Stunt?!" came out her indignant reply.  Eriol must have felt her anger that was building up inside her because he gave her hand a squeeze of warning.  She leant back on her seat, deciding to shut up and ignore her mother as best as she could.

Eriol shot Sonomi a hard look.  The woman was rarely intimidated but there was something feral in that look that says he would protect Tomoyo even if it is from her very own mother.  She crushed her cigarette on the ashtray even though she just smoked half of it as though it displeased her and lit a new one.

"Tomoyo was seven then.  We were playing in the Penguin Park when I was called for an emergency meeting.  I left her there with her nursemaid to play until sunset.  When I came back to collect them, that idiot of a nanny lost Tomoyo while playing hide and seek.

We searched everywhere.  When we couldn't find her after an hour, I asked Hanagata-san's help.  He and a selected few cops made a hush-hush investigation.  I could not compromise my daughter's safety by involving the media."

"There were no clues," Chief Hanagata continued the explanation.  "No sign of struggle anywhere in the vicinity.  No witnesses.  No ransom notes.  It was like she vanished into thin air.  Three days later she was found in the outskirts of Tomoeda by a hiker, conscious but in shock."

"Days after that I brought her to a psychiatrist.  She refused to eat, sleep or talk.  She cringed back whenever anyone would come close.  All she ever did was stay in one corner of her room and cover her eyes."  Sonomi said.

"The psychiatrist couldn't break through her shock.  Months later, all we found out came from her dreams.  She kept on having nightmares about a man.  A man who wanted to steal her eyes."

_Amethyst eyes.__  I want my amethyst eyes._

Tomoyo felt her face pale anew.  The man's voice was becoming more persistent in her head.  Sonomi paused for a while to shoot a worried look at her.  "I'm fine.  Go on."

"There's nothing much to tell.  When it seemed that you wouldn't recover from the ordeal, I thought it best to have you hypnotized."

"You had her memory erased?"  Eriol almost yelled indignantly.

"Not erased, Hiiragizawa-san.  No one could deliberately erase a memory.  The psychiatrist suppressed it deep in her mind.  And it worked.  After that my daughter lived a normal life."

"Normal life?  I very much doubt if Tomoyo-chan led such.  The nightmares did not stop.  In fact, the hypnotism caused them to magnify tenfold.  I can't believe..." Eriol was not able to finish his tirade because the woman beside him suddenly spoke up.

"You knew."

Eriol, Sonomi and Hanagata could only stare at her shaking figure.  When she lifted her head, they all bit back at the magnificence of her eyes—all bright and shiny from sorrow and pain.

"When I came to you about my dreams, you knew what they were about.  You knew and yet you didn't tell me the truth," she cried out angrily at her mother.

"You were young, Tomoyo.  You would never have understood..."

"How do you know that?  All these time I though you did not believe me but instead you were hiding the truth.  Why, 'kaasan, why?"

"I told you.  I didn't want you to get hurt."

"Didn't want me to get hurt or didn't want your reputation to get hurt?"

Sonomi took in a deep breath after that blow.  "That's not fair, Tomoyo."

"Then what is fair?  Did you think it was fair that I had those dreams as a result to what you did to me?  Is it fair that you shrugged me off when I came to you?  Is it fair that I had to go through all the humiliation and pain alone?"

"I just wanted to protect you."

"But I wasn't the only one who needed to be protected!!!"  Her outburst caused her companions to flinch.  "Those other girls needed the protection just as much as I did, maybe even more.  Don't you understand, 'kaasan?  I could have helped them.  I could have stopped that mad man from hurting anyone else.  If only you had let me..."

"You were in shock.  And he was hurting you.  Just the memory of him was killing you."

"Maybe.  But I would rather have died than live with all of this guilt.  Five children are dead because of me and another one is about to die."

Tomoyo jumped up and strode to the door.  Eriol followed behind her, managing to swipe the case file from the desk.  Sonomi tried to follow them but Hanagata decided it best to leave them be.  He dropped a warning hand on Sonomi's shoulder then went to his cabinet to pour some more brandy.

~Later~

Neither of them spoke throughout the car ride to the motel.  It was evident from Tomoyo's face that a lot were going through her mind.  By the time they went in their room, Eriol was really worried.

"Tomoyo-chan..."

"I'm fine.  I…I'm just tired.  I'd like to rest even for just an hour."

"Aa."

She laid down on the bed and curled up into a fetal position.  Eriol removed her shoes and covered her with a blanket.  He then went to the window to close the blinds.  Turning on the lamp at the far side of the room, he proceeded to review her file.

She was vaguely aware of her surroundings.  Much as she wanted to say 'thank you' to Eriol, she couldn't.  She was tired.  Too tired.  Even now she could feel the deep slumber taking its toll on her weary senses.

~Dream Sequence~

She was back on the swing in Penguin Park.  Still nothing could be heard.  She stared at her feet hanging above the ground.  Surrounding them was the shadow of her body enlarged by the light cast by the full moon behind her.

And then the flickering light came, dancing beyond the massive trees in the woods.  She stood and followed it, stopping at the same clearing from her previous dream.  The man was there, his arms outstretched, welcoming her.  His voice could be heard, whispering above the soft wind...beckoning her.

_Tomoyo__..._

_My Tomoyo..._

_Come back to me..._

_I'll be waiting...___

To be continued...

**BISHLOV:** If you still don't get it try to re-read the Tomoyo chapters.  The clues are embedded in her dreams/visions.  Please review and tell me what you think.  Did this chapter suck?

**BISHLOV AGAIN:** *in awful singing voice* And now...the end is near...


	8. Eriol

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own CCS or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**AMETHYST EYES**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 8

"She's asleep," Eriol spoke into his cellular phone.  "Yes, I'm sure."

"What have you got for me?" asked the voice on the other line.  It was the Police Chief of the Tokyo Police Department.  Eriol's phone rang four o' clock on the dot for his daily report.

"As expected, the Takenori case was a dead end."

"Damn it, Hiiragizawa!  What have you been doing?  I was expecting more from you but it seems like you're losing your touch."

Normally Eriol would have defended himself by this time but he was too upset and confused to do so.  Maybe he was losing his touch.  Or maybe he's just too emotionally involved in this case.

"What is it, Hiiragizawa?  You're too quiet.  What are you hiding?"

He cursed under his breath.  Chief Murosaki did not reach where he was now if he hadn't been perceptive.  The older man could sense an anomaly from a mile away.  He knew that he should tell him what he had found out but was extremely reluctant to do so.  He knew what would happen if he did and he didn't want that to happen.

He'd rather die than let that happen.

"Hiiragizawa!  Hiiragizawa!"

"I'm still looking for a lead.  I'll call you when I have something."

With no further ado, he snapped his phone shut, terminating the call.  After a brief hesitation he proceeded to turn it off.  Aside from being perceptive, his superior was also persistent especially when angry.  Pocketing the phone, he turned to go back in the motel room only to halt again.

_Tomoyo-chan__!  How long had she been standing there?_

"Good, you're awake," he regained his composure.  "You must be hungry.  What would you like to eat?  We could order some pizza or maybe..."

"You didn't tell him.  Why?"

How can he answer that?  Should he tell her the truth or fabricate a lie?

"He doesn't need to know.  Not yet anyway."  Of course...a half lie.

"Baka," she muttered as she followed him in.  "Of course he needs to know.  He's your boss."

"I don't care."

"Demo..."

"I SAID I DON'T CARE!"

"Eriol-kun," Tomoyo gasped in surprise at his outburst.  He saw her eyes flash with shock after he punched the nearest wall to stop feeling so helpless.  A second later the same beautiful eyes flashed with defiance.

"Don't fight with me Tomoyo-chan," his voice carried a warning note.  "I know what I'm doing."

"Then what are you doing?  What are you planning to do?"

"My plan does not include telling anyone what happened earlier."

"Are you out of your mind?  Why would you want to do that?"

"Because if I told Chief Murosaki about your involvement he would want to use you as bait."

"And that's a problem because...?"

"That's a problem because I cannot risk losing you to that madman!  I won't!  I will not allow it!"  However hard one tries to hide the truth it's always bound to be uncovered.  Eriol slammed his palms on the table, dislodging some of the paper scattered on it.  When he saw her picture, the one taken before she was abducted, he couldn't help but grip the edge of the table in desperation.

He knew that his answer wouldn't flatter her even for a bit.  She was too attached to the other abducted girls to even consider what he was feeling.  He was being an insensitive, selfish ass he knew that.  But he couldn't help it.  Now, he understands why the Daidouji matriarch tried to repress her daughter's memories...tried to shelter her from the truth.

It was simply because Tomoyo was too special.  And he was not going to lose grip on the one person who could give sense to his existence.  He had devoted his entire life to helping other people, even as a child.  Surely he deserves to be selfish just this once.

He was expecting an indignant reply from her.  After all, he is a cop and it is his duty to catch the perp and save the girl at all cost.  And when he didn't hear or feel any reaction from her he looked up and saw a determined look on her face.

"It's not for you to decide, Eriol-kun."

"Tomoyo-chan, I..."

"No," she moved closer to him and laid a hand on his.  "I know you fear for my safety.  I'm scared too.  But I have to do this.  You must understand that I need to."

"You don't have to," still he resisted.

"Weren't you listening?  I _need_ to do something, Eriol-kun, even if it means putting my life on the line."

The desperation in her eyes almost made him change his mind.  Almost but not quite.  God knows what would happen to her if she falls into the hands of that serial killer.  Images of him desecrating her body in more ways than one flashed through his mind.

"No," he said with an equally grim determination.

Amethysts flashed from desperation to irritation.  "You can't stop me, Hiiragizawa."

He did not think that the day would come when he would wince at his own name.  But it was fine with him if she'd get angry with him.  At least she'd be alive and safe.  She sent him a look that had haunted him day and night.  It was the look she always gets whenever she recalls a vision.  Her brilliant eyes are now dull, almost turning black from the pain.

"I had another dream.  He's expecting me to come to him.  I went to the woods and he was there, waiting for me.  He had been killing those girls to get my attention.  So that I would go to him."

"All the more reason why you shouldn't go.  That psycho's obsessed with you."

"But if I go he might release Keiko Mori."

"If and might.  There's no certainty.  He could lock you up in that basement and kill you both."

"Why are you saying these things?  Don't you care about that missing child?"

"I care about you more."  Eriol loosened his grip on the table and pulled her in a tight embrace.  "I can't bear the thought of losing you.  If something happens I don't know what I'll do."

"I need to do this.  My conscience will not let me rest if I don't go to him.  I promised myself that I would help those girls in every possible way.  This is my chance to keep that promise."

His only response was to tighten his arms about her some more.  He was torn between letting her go and keeping her safe.  He felt her arms move to his back to return the hug.  For a moment he wished time would stop.  He wished that he could whisk her away to another world where there were no other people but them.

But alas!  None of those were possible.  Time was not something that they have.  The clock was ticking and he needs to make a decision.  Save the child or save Tomoyo?  Ninety-nine percent of him wants to drag his love as far away from Tomoeda as possible even if she would kick and scream in protest.  But still there was that remaining one percent.

That one percent was his conscience.  Small, yes, but it was still a part of him that he couldn't ignore.  A few moments of tense silence passed.  His insides warred.  And his 'one percent' was gaining authority due to Tomoyo's muffled sobs against his chest.  He couldn't deny her anything even if what's at stake was his own sanity.

After a while she gently pushed against him and stared at his blue eyes, almost pleading for understanding.  "I have to go tonight.  In my dream the woods was dark but there was a full moon.  I'm sure there was a full moon."

_Just like tonight_, he thought with dread.  Midnight will mark the end of the seventh day since the Mori girl was kidnapped.  Eriol would bet all his worldly possessions that there was a full moon in every seventh day deadline of every abducted girl.  It was only now that he understands how that bastard operates.  He had to admit that his MO was brilliantly meticulous.

Perhaps now he understands why Tomoyo was so adamant in seeking the perp.  She blames herself for everything.  She used to say to him that she tolerated the pain and humiliation of seeing things and getting ridiculed because it was not about her.  It was about those frightened girls and how she should help them.

But now she found out that it really was about her.  The psycho abducted the girls in search for her...to draw his amethyst eyes out.  She feels that she's the one who pushed the girls to their deaths.  Her guilt must be overwhelming, threatening to eat her inside out.

And he couldn't stand seeing her sad just as much as he couldn't bear losing her.  He let out a long sigh of defeat.  He would have to go along with her and just make sure that no harm would come to her.

"You're not going to change your mind, are you?"  He cupped her face with his palms and wiped some of the tears with his thumbs.  He sighed yet again when her face lit up in triumph.  He should have known that he would lose in this fight right from the very start.  Or any fight for that matter so long as his opponent was the bewitching Tomoyo Daidouji.

He gave her one last squeeze before moving towards the door with his phone at hand.  "All right.  I'll help you.  I don't like it one bit but I will...for you.  I have to call for reinforcement first.  And we need a plan.  I'm not going to let you go if we don't have a plan."

He was about to leave the room when her hands clutched at his shirt from behind.  He felt her lean her forehead on his back and his heart skipped a bit at the small gesture.  "Arigatou, Eriol-kun."

"Don't thank me yet," he smirked though worriedly.  With that he reluctantly went out to make the call.

~Later, around 11pm~

Only a handful of men were sent from Tokyo to Tomoeda.  Chief Murosaki did not want to send too many cops.  It would raise some suspicions from the media.  If that happens, the rescue mission would surely be compromised.  Eriol was in charge of the mission.  He had already notified Chief Hanagata of the Tomoeda department of the attempt to draw out the perp.  The old man had promised to help in any way he could, including giving any number of cops to assist, if and when he needs it.

But right now he did not need his help nor does he want it.  Tomoyo's safety is at stake here and he would need to trust the people under his command.  And he did not trust anybody else but his colleagues from Tokyo, especially not Hanagata and his men.

Two cops had already hidden themselves in the woods, each equipped with an earpiece that serves as a two-way radio.  One of them was Nakajima, the closest guy he could consider as his partner.  Two other men were with him and Tomoyo.  They were huddled in a van that's parked a few blocks from Penguin Park.  They were having a last minute briefing before executing the plan.

"Remember, Tomoyo-chan, all you have to do is wait for him to come out.  Let him come to you.  And when he shows up, talk to him.  Make him talk about Keiko Mori or any of the other girls for that matter.  Make him say something incriminating.  When you do that, we're going to arrest him."

She nodded at him stiffly.  He could see that she was nervous, almost scared.  Who wouldn't?  He reached out to squeeze her hand in encouragement and did not let go, much to the interest of his men.

"Here, pin this on you," one of the men handed her an angel brooch holding a small, fake amethyst gem.  It was actually a tracing device as well as a transmitter.  Any conversation that would go between her and the perp would be transmitted to this van and recorded by the machine tucked at one side of the cramped vehicle.

Eriol took the brooch and deftly pinned it near her heart.  It was then he frowned upon her outfit.  She was wearing a ribbed turtleneck sweater and jeans.  It was not because they were hugging her form quite snuggly although a part of him was finding it disconcerting.  No, it was because of the color of her top.  It was a light shade of purple that emphasized the tone of her amethyst eyes.

It was as if she chose to wear it in order to goad either him or the psycho.  If he knew better, which he does, the outfit was meant for both of them.  And he finds it quite dangerous.  He was about to order her to change her clothes but was interrupted by a radio transmission.

"Hiiragizawa, it's time.  Send her out," Nakajima's voice was heard through the speakers.

Eriol hesitated a bit but was calmed down by the trust in her eyes.  He led her out of the van and accompanied her to the corner leading to the park.  From there on she would walk alone.  "Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Good," he hesitated yet again, a nagging feeling queasing through his stomach.  "Tomoyo, be careful."

He felt a tug at his hand and he looked down in time to see her reaching out to kiss him.  She pressed a chaste kiss on his lips once, twice before pulling away.

"I love you."  The whisper was so soft that he thought he had imagined it.  By the time he came to his senses, she was already walking away from him.

He wanted to call to her...to run after her...to hug her and kiss her senseless.  He wanted to tell her that he loves her too.  But he couldn't.  They're on a stakeout and he needed to be on his toes.  He could do those things once this was over.  But right now he needed to make sure that she would stay safe.

Once her small figure disappeared from his vision he went back in the van and settled in front of the machine.  "Was the brooch working?"

"Perfectly," the other cop pushed the rewind button with a grin and the tape played their conversation including Tomoyo's 'I love you'.

_So I didn't imagine it_, he couldn't help but grin in delight.  _She loves me too._

"Amethyst has entered the park," the radio crackled again.  'Amethyst' was their code for Tomoyo.  "She's now in position."

"Are there anybody else about?"  Eriol spoke when he attached his earpiece.

"There was a couple of kids making out a while ago but I drove them away."  Eriol smirked at Nakajima's tone.  He knew that the other cop was disappointed that he couldn't pull the peeping tom bit.

"Any others?  Particularly the suspicious kind?"

"Nope.  No sign of the asshole yet."  Yes, 'asshole' was their code for the perpetrator.

Thirty-seven minutes had passed and still there was no sign of him.  The last few minutes were quiet except for Tomoyo's mesmerizing hums.  They were starting to think that the psycho would not show up.  But of course they should have known that things always start to happen once they let their guards down.

"Amethyst is on the move," Nakajima informed them.

"Nani!"  _What the hell is she doing?  I told her to stay put._

"She's entering the woods."

"I see a strange light from a distance," the other cop who's also hidden in the woods added.

"Then follow it, damn it!  Don't let her out of your sight."

They could hear movements in the background, though they were inconspicuous enough for the perp to notice.  "Let's move," Eriol ordered the driver to speed to the park.

"What's your status?" he almost shouted.

"I lost her."

"So did I.  There's no sign of the light either."

"Kuso!  Activate the tracing device," he jumped from the van even as it was just slowing down to a stop.  He stumbled on the pavement then broke into a run.

"North.  She's heading north."

"Eriol ran in that direction for ten minutes.  Halfway through the chase he was accompanied by the two cops.  A couple of minutes later the guy tracing their movements from the van ordered them to stop.

"You're getting warm.  She's not moving anymore.  She must have located the perp.  Approach with caution."

They pulled out their guns and moved forward slowly, using the trees for camouflage.  They reached a clearing but still there was no sign of her.

"Stop, she's just a few meters away from you."

"I don't see her.  Are you sure you're reading it clearly?"

The full moon chose to illuminate the area at that moment.  The light reflected on something to their far right.  Eriol walked towards it, his face turning white when his worst fear was confirmed.

On the ground was the angel brooch.

The asshole has finally taken his amethyst eyes.

To be continued...

**Bishlov's**** Notes:**  Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews, minna-san!!!  Pick one below if you're interested...Oh and please excuse my potty mouth in this chapter.

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**Ja**** ne!**


	9. Tomoyo

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own CCS or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**AMETHYST EYES**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 9

The painful throbbing of her head woke her up.  Tomoyo forced herself on a kneeling position, all the while rubbing her temples to ease the pain.  When it became more or less bearable she started to look around, eyes growing more accustomed to the pitch-black surroundings.

It didn't take long for her to realize where she was.  The darkness itself was familiar, what more of the room?  It was how she remembers it from her dreams.  The room was small and bare.  Nothing else could be seen except for the four cement walls, an old wooden staircase, a slightly putrid urinal on one corner and a tall bookshelf against one wall.

She walked towards it, knees wobbly from lack of energy.  The shelf itself was empty except for a covered bulky area.  She knew what was hidden there...knew that underneath the cloth were the amethyst eyes that the madman had collected from the little girl's bodies.  She started to reach out for the cloth with shaking hands but stopped halfway through.

She was not ready to come face to face with her guilt.  Those girls suffered because of her...because they were unfortunate enough to have the same eye color as hers.  It was not the morbidity of dissected human eyes that prevents her from reaching out, although she had to admit that it was way beyond her liking too.  It was because she didn't want five pairs of eyes staring at her, boring into her soul.

_Five girls!  Where's the other one?  Keiko!_

She whirled around, wincing once at the twinge of pain in her head, and looked from left to right, squinting her eyes in the dark.  She heard rather than saw the movement.  She walked slowly to the stairs, stumbling over the chair in the middle of the room.  Crouching low, she peered at the small space between the staircase and the wall.

Sure enough there was a shaking bundle underneath, squeezing her body against the wall.  It was as if the girl was trying to disappear in the shadows.

"Hey there.  Don't be frightened.  I won't hurt you."  Tomoyo made sure that her voice was as soft and soothing as it could be, not just for the child's sake but also to not catch the attention of the perp.  The poor child had been through enough and didn't need any more fright to strain her nerves.

The shaking had stopped but the girl was still curled up in a tight ball and won't look at her.  Tomoyo's heart started to wrench again in guilt.  Keiko Mori wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for her.  She should be with her parents, playing in the backyard or sleeping soundly on her bed (depending on what time it is).

_Stop it!_  A voice inside her head reprimanded her.  _Feeling guilty and blaming yourself won't comfort that child.  They won't help you to escape either._

The voice was right like it always was.  Right now she should put the child at ease and think of a way on how to get out of this god-forsaken place.  She tiredly sat down on the floor and leaned on the wall.  After a minute, she heard the girl move again.

"My name is Tomoyo.  You're Keiko, right?  A lot of people are looking for you, including my friend.  He's a policeman."

The girl sat up and faced her, although she still kept her distance.  Tomoyo smiled at her even if she was unsure if the girl could see it.  "He must be pretty worried about me too.  But don't worry.  I'm sure he'll find us."

"Will he be coming before the bad man comes back?" came the high-pitched whisper.

"I don't know, chibi-chan.  But if the bad man does come back before my friend arrives I won't let the bad man come near you.  I won't let anything bad happen to you."  She heard Keiko sniff, trying hard not to cry.  Her heart went out to her but she meant every word she said.  "Did the bad man hurt you?"

"He hurt my hand and feet when he had me tied me up for the longest time.  And the food he kept feeding me was yucky."

Tomoyo was relieved and couldn't help but smile.  She could just imagine the girl's nose all crinkled up in disgust.  At least she's loosening up.

"Ne, Oneechan, why did the bad man bring you here?"

Her smile had grown wider when Keiko called her 'big sister' but that smile stiffened at the end of the sentence.  How could she respond to that?  Will Keiko hate her once she finds out that her oneechan was the root of this problem?  She decided to go with the evasive answer.

"I'm here because of the same reason as you."

"What's an amethyst?  The bad man kept on talking about 'amethyst eyes' but I don't know what that means.  I don't like the way he looks at me."

"Amethyst is a precious stone with an unusual purple color.  It's a very beautiful gem."

"But my eyes aren't stones."

"No.  He just meant that you have beautiful eyes."

"Do you also have amethyst eyes?"

"Aa."

A couple of minutes passed in silence before Keiko spoke again.  "Ne, Oneechan, did the bad man stole you from your friend like he stole me from my mommy and daddy?"

Tomoyo stiffened at the memory.  It was a very surreal experience, her second abduction.  That is if she could call it an abduction.  Her body had moved against her will.  Her mind was taken over by an unseen force, leaving only a small part aware and sane.  It was like an out-of-the-body experience where she watched herself run to the man.

~Flashback~

She sat on the swing, just like in her dreams.  Staring at her feet on the ground, she now understands what they meant.  The scenario was the same years ago when she was just seven.  Though she can't remember it at all, unsure if she'll ever will, she knew from the way her feet dangled above the ground in her dreams that this was how everything started.

She waited for a while, occasionally darting glances at her surroundings particularly at the woods.  When nothing out of the ordinary happened, she started swinging herself, humming a long-forgotten tune that she usually sang while she played alone.  Her mother was always too busy to play with her while her nanny was not so fond with children despite of what her job entails.  And being the daughter of the richest woman in Tomoeda, she had no friends...was not allowed to mingle with ordinary children.

If Sakura had an overprotective brother, she had an overbearing mother.  At least Touya had let his sister lead an ordinary life...well, more or less.  He only became overprotective when there's a guy hanging around Sakura, especially if that guy was Syaoran.  Whereas her mother was particularly suffocating.  Even though she had thought that she was independent as one could get, she realized that she never got free of her mother's hold...that her so-called independence was just a farce.  To Sonomi she was not just a daughter but also an asset.  Something that should be kept in the family at all costs.

She couldn't believe that her very own mother had manipulated her mind.  All of those years of suffering and her mother knew the reason why.  Maybe Tomoyo could understand why she had her hypnotized though it doesn't mean that she approved of it.  What hurt her most was her mother chose not to believe her, did not comfort her when she needed it the most.

Perhaps in time she could forgive her.  But not yet.  Not right now when that psycho was still on the loose with an innocent girl in his clutches.

It was then that she noticed it.  The all-too-familiar flickering light dancing in between the trees.  And just like in her dreams, she felt drawn to it, mesmerized as she was with its twirling motion.  She could feel her head turning lighter.  As she continued to watch the light, she could feel her subconscious taking over.  It was like moving from the driver's seat of a car to the backseat with its seat belt strapping and grasping her body in a death grip.

She felt detached from her body and watched herself move to the woods even if inside she was screaming to stay put.

_No.  Eriol said I should stay.  Don't go there!_

But still she followed the light.  Soon she was breaking into a run with the light leading the way.

_Where am I going?  Why can't I stop?  What's happening to me?_

Her body knew where she was going and so was that large part of her mind that won't respond.  She had been here before.  No, not just in her dreams but as a child she had weaved through these trees...had walked away from her nanny to catch the enthralling firefly.  Though her memory fails her, everything was going on an instinctual level that it's impossible that she had never been here at least once in her life.

And just as she thought that she couldn't run no more, her knees gave up from under her and she dropped on all fours.  Each heaving breath caused some pain making her clutch at the loose dirt of the ground.  A second later she noticed a pair of shiny black shoes within an arm's reach.

"Tomoyo."

Her body involuntarily stiffened at the sound of his voice.  Slowly she forced herself to look up...to finally know who the madman was.  But circumstances still would not allow her.  Though the moon was full, a partially thick canopy of branching trees covered the clearing they were in.  She couldn't see his face, not that clearly.  All her mind could register was the glowing light of the man's cigarette, her eyes following its upward and downward movements in a mesmerized way.

"Come to me, Tomoyo."

_No!_  But again her body won't cooperate.  _What is happening to me?  How can he control me like this?_

She stood up and stared at the chest of the faceless man in an impeccable business suit.  He moved forward to cup her face with his free hand and tipped it up.

"Your eyes...they haven't changed a bit.  They are still as beautiful as ever.  Tell me, my amethyst eyes, did you miss me?"

Sudden tears stung her eyes.  _Go away.  Please, God, make him go away._

"What's this?"  His hand left her face to reach for her angel brooch and deftly removed it.  "But it's not real.  Not like the amethysts that you have."

He threw the brooch away.  Again she couldn't do anything about it except protest vehemently in her mind.  It was her last hope...her last connection to reality.  Her last connection to Eriol.

"Sleep now, Tomoyo.  Soon you'll be home."

She fought with her mind even as consciousness started to leave her.  She sent out a last cry for help, wishing that his heart would hear her plea.

_Eriol__-kun, where are you?_

~End of Flashback~

"Don't cry, Oneechan.  My mommy and daddy will come and fetch us.  And they'll bring your friend too."

Tomoyo had not noticed that Keiko had finally crawled out of her hiding place and was kneeling besides her, patting her head.  She brushed her tears away and smiled at the girl's grubby face.  She was the one who's supposed to cheer the child up, not the other way around.

_Who says so_, she thought to herself.  Just because she's older doesn't mean that she's less scared of the situation they were in.  At least her phobias were not kicking in.

_This is no time to be scared._  The voice was back to distract her from the telltale tightening of her chest.  _Think, Tomoyo.  Find a way out._

"If only it wasn't so dark," she whispered back.

"Ne, Oneechan, maybe you could open the window."

"Huh?" she turned in confusion at Keiko.  She was pointing high at a wall.  It was barely noticeable because of its black covering.  No wonder she missed it.  But it was obvious now since daylight was peeking through a couple of minute holes from whatever was covering the window.

All of a sudden, several images flashed through her mind.  Of her as a young girl crouching in the corner of this repulsive room.  Of her climbing up.  Of her heaving her small body out the window.  Images that could only be part of her lost memories.

_The bookshelf!_

She remembers some of it now.  The bookshelf used to be located at that side of the wall.  That's how she managed to climb to that window.  That's how she escaped when she was seven.

_And that's how we're going to escape now._

She crawled around, searching for the chair she tripped on earlier and quietly dragged it to the wall.  She stood on it, balancing herself because the chair was lightly wobbly.  She strained to reach for the cover to the point that she stood on her toes just so she could touch the tip of the black cloth.  As soon as her fingers touched it, she grabbed a handful of the fabric and yanked it down.

_Yes...NO!!!_

She felt her heart fall hard to the bottom of her stomach.  The window was still there and it was not locked as far as she could see.  Unfortunately there was something else that hindered their escape route.

Built outside the window were bars that weren't there years ago.  Each grill was welded so close together that not even a cat would be able to squeeze its body through.

"Surely you didn't think I would be stupid enough to leave it open after I lost you."

Tomoyo jumped in surprise.  She slowly turned around, dreading this moment since she knew there's nothing that could keep his face and identity from her view.  Keiko had moved closer to her, clutching the edge of her pants almost hugging her legs.

She was shocked anew when she realized who the evil man was.  She felt her face lose all of its blood and color.

"What's the matter?  Cat got your tongue?"

"YOU!"

"Ah, yes, me.  It's hard to imagine, ne?  The police and the brilliant Sonomi Daidouji fooled by simple old me."

"Damn you!  My mother trusted you!  _I_ trusted you!"

Never in her entire life had she thought that everything would come to this.  The serial killer...the madman...was someone they had trusted.  Someone who had been at their side from the very beginning.

She had known this man since she was just a babe.  He had taken care of her...had made sure that she was in a good condition all the time.  It was ironic that this man whom she had trusted with her life was the one who ruined it in the first place.

"Kazuma-sensei."  She made no effort to hide the disgust in her voice.

Her doctor.

Her therapist.

Her tormentor.

To be continued...

**BISHLOV'S NOTES:**

[1] Corny ending, ne?  A bit anti-climactic too.  At least it wasn't a cliffhanger.  Truth be told, I was tempted to stop at the part when Tomoyo said "YOU!" but then I don't want any more shoes thrown at me.  I could already rival Imelda Marcos with her collection of footwear if only I could get the other pairs of the shoes you've thrown at me.  Hehehe.

[2] Some people said for the past few chapters that they regret not having read this fic when it first came out.  It's okay.  I don't blame you because I can't write a decent, catchy summary worth a single penny.  If I could then I'd be filthy rich right now then I'd be able to bribe FF.net to put back the NC17 category.  Bwahahahahahahaha!  Lol ^_^

[3] Make bishlov happy.  Help me reach at least 110 reviews and I'll forever send you sloppy kissy thanks and diabetic I Wuv U's.

I wuv u...I wuv u...I WUV YOU!!!


	10. Eriol

**BISHLOV:**  Okay, okay.  I wasn't being hard to get.  I didn't really expect to reach 110 reviews nor did I wait for that to happen before I post this next chapter up.  I was truly swamped with schoolwork.  No, really!!!  And I won't threaten you with sloppy kissy thanks and I wuv you's anymore.  Truce?

This chapter goes to L-chan.  I've put that website you suggested to good use.

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own CCS or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**AMETHYST EYES**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 10

_Kuso__!!!_  Eriol felt like punching a tree.

The sun was already rising and there was still no sign of either Tomoyo or the serial killer.  They had combed the surrounding areas at least three times now, keeping their eyes peeled especially since all they have were heavy-duty flashlights and the waning moonlight.

But there was nothing.  No Tomoyo...no abductor...nothing.  There was no sign of struggle.  Not a single disturbed plant, grass or soil.  There were no footprints, tire prints or any kind of prints at all.  Eriol was looking for everything and anything.  He was becoming desperate enough that his colleagues had seen him upturning several loose rocks.  It wasn't as if the perp would hide a map or riddle to his hideout underneath those rocks.

But then all of them understood.  Tomoyo was snatched right under their noses and they could not find a single clue that would tell them her whereabouts.  It was as if she vanished from the clearing and into thin air.  If they feel bad about it then Eriol must feel like hell.

"Ne, Hiiragizawa?"  Nakajima looked at the indigo-haired cop then shook his head.  Eriol was glaring at a tree as though he wants to bring it in for questioning.  Keh!  Who could blame him?  A few more minutes of this and he'd be bringing in a couple of owls himself.  "Oy!  We'd better head out.  This is pointless.  I'd bet several mugs of strong coffee would clear our heads."

"You go on ahead and enlist the help of Chief Hanagata.  I'll stay behind and see if we've missed anything."

"Like what?  It's not as if Daidouji-san left a trail of broken pieces of bread to follow."  Nakajima had to step back at the absolute look of fury on the guy's face.  Their other colleagues shifted behind him telling him that they saw and felt the feral look too.  "Gomen ne, Hiiragizawa.  That was uncalled for but you know I'm telling you the truth.  There's nothing here and you'll just waste your time.  We won't find them here.  We have to find another way to locate them.  You know, Daidouji-san best among us and chances are you're the only one who could think of something."

After a minute more of scowling, Eriol conceded.  They left the clearing in a hurry.  Actually it was Eriol who left in a hurry while the others ran to catch up behind him.  Soon they entered the Tomoeda police headquarters with take out coffee (two mega extra tall a piece) and headed to the conference room, which was assigned as their temporary office.  One by one they dropped on the chairs and nursed their second cups of coffee.

_What the hell went wrong?_  This was the nth time Eriol asked himself that question.  And each time he couldn't grasp the answer.  Everything was going smoothly up until Tomoyo got up and left.  They didn't have much of a plan B since they didn't expect her to disobey orders.

_But why did she leave?_

_Where did she go?_

_Why isn't there a single evidence?_

_Evidence?__  Eriol no baka!_

He slammed his palm on the table, startling the other occupants of the quiet room.  How could he have forgotten?  He was too busy looking for Tomoyo that he had forgotten that he already had the clue.  He took his handkerchief from the inner breast pocket of his jacket and reached in his pants' pocket, hoping all the while that he hadn't contaminated the evidence.

His companions looked at him in question and realized what they had missed out.  Now laying atop the white cloth was the brooch transmitter that was left behind.  "Egami."

"Hai," one of the cops replied.

"Dust this for prints and run it through the database, particularly Tomoeda's.  But I want everything covered.  I don't care if you have to compare it to every fingerprints stored in entire Japan."

"Hai!"  The man rushed to bag the brooch and went out to search for the station's forensic laboratory.

"Do you think he would come up with something?"  Nakajima asked.

"I hope so," Eriol sighed, "because we don't have anything else to go on."

"Bad night?"

All of them stared at the open door with a withering glare.  Chief Hanagata had enough decency to clear his throat in apology.  He looked like hell too for he spent the entire night going over Tomoyo's files.  Though he was hoping that everything would go well with Hiiragizawa's operation, he had also expected the worst.  And from what the front desk told him, Hiiragizawa and the others walked in the station without Tomoyo.  He wanted to help.  He owed the girl that much.

"So what happened?"

Nakajima was the one who answered back since Eriol already had his back to the room and was staring out the window.  Hanagata stayed quiet, nodding once or twice especially at the part where there's no sign of struggle or physical evidence aside from the brooch.  It sounded so familiar because they also found no evidence years ago during the investigation of Tomoyo's first abduction.

The old cop went to the long table, cleared a large part and unrolled a map he brought down.  He shot a look at Eriol to see if he got his attention, which he did.  He took a red marker and drew a star on the map.

"Penguin Park.  Three days after Daidouji-chan went missing she was found a mile northwest from the park."  Hanagata marked the area again.

Eriol moved to his side and pointed at the map.  "This is the general area of her last known position."

"Then all we have to do is search the zone that encompasses all three points."

"That's a lot of search area," one of the guys whistled.

"That's no problem.  I'll have most of my men join the search."

"If you don't mind my butting in," Nakajima said, "how can you be sure that they're still in the woods.  He could be hiding Daidouji-san somewhere between Tomoeda and Tokyo by now."

"He won't be going anywhere.  He's fancy.  He always uses the same..." Eriol's face whitened again at his stupidity.  "That's it!  Hanagata-san, do cabins or any kind of building structure built in the woods have permit?"

"Of course.  Just because it's in the woods far away from the town proper doesn't mean it won't need a building permit.  But what...oh, I get it.  I take it you'd want me to get the list of those cabins."

"And their exact locations plus the land owners.  Get me a list of everything that could be found in that woods."

"I understand.  I'll put my men to work right away."

"Take my men with you."

"You don't trust me that much, do you, Hiiragizawa?"

"Not really," Eriol looked squarely at the older man, not caring if he's a superior.  "But that's not my point.  Tomoyo needs all the help she could get and I trust you enough with my men."

"I do want the perp too, you know."  He replied in a dead serious tone.

"No doubt but I also want Tomoyo back too."

"And I don't?"

Nakajima sensed the trouble brewing so he decided to butt in again.  It was something he was really good at.  "Stop it you two.  The longer we stand here doing nothing, the longer we'll find Daidouji-san and that psycho.  I suggest you continue this macho game of yours next time."

Both men glared at Nakajima but conceded that he had a point.  Hanagata left the room followed by the three men.  Eriol sat back down on his chair and gulped down the remaining lukewarm coffee.  His head ached from thinking.  But for one last time he searched his brain in case he missed anything.

The brooch was being dusted.  There was nothing else found in the woods for they were very thorough.  The brooch transmitted a fairly good audio input of the perp's voice but it was nothing unless they have something to compare it to.  Nor did the man say anything that could clue them in on who he is or where he plans to take Tomoyo.

_Tomoyo__.___

He's extremely worried about her.  He kept on praying that she's all right but confusion always nagged his mind.  Why did she run away when he specifically told her to stay put?  Why didn't she say anything even if the perp was talking to her?  Why did she go willingly with him?

But he knew he won't be able to think of the answers.  The only way he'll know is by asking Tomoyo and he won't be able to ask her unless he gets her back before it's too late.

_If he hurts her...___

He doesn't know what he'll do.  He'll probably tear the perp limb from limb.

_I can't lose her.  Not now.  Not when I just found her.  God, I love her!_

And she loves him back.  He'll do everything to find her.  He'll leave no stones unturned (figuratively this time).  And then when this is all over, he'd be able to respond back to her love.  Nothing would be able to separate them anymore.

But the only thing that has this investigation going was the brooch and her dreams.  Eriol recalled Tomoyo's dreams.  She always said that the girls are kept in a basement of a cabin somewhere in the woods.  Then he recalled her saying that the victims were transported in a car of some sort meaning there would have to be a road.  A dirt road most probably.  He would have to ask Hanagata about that when he returns with the list.

If only he knew about her last dreams.  He knew that ever since they returned to Tomoeda her dreams had turned to worse.  Probably because it was more of a flashback rather than a vision.  That much he knew for how else they would know that the perp would come for her in the park.  But other than that he knew nothing else.

The question is if he had known more would he have been able to stop the perp from getting Tomoyo?

His stomach growled loudly before he could delve on the thought.  He hadn't eaten anything since brunch yesterday.  He looked at the wall clock and realized that it was almost 24 hours since that last meal.  He decided to grab something for him and his men.  He might as well be useful.  Then maybe he could analyze something once the list and prints were done.  If not for that reason then just so that he'd be preoccupied enough to keep from going insane.

When he came back almost thirty minutes later, he bumped into Egami who was doing the prints.  The other cop gladly traded his folder for a box of Chinese takeout.  Eriol's meal was once again forgotten as he browsed through the file.

"There were three prints.  Umehara-san's, yours and a smudged unknown," Egami explained after his first bite.  Umehara was one of their colleagues who served as the technician in the van the night before.  "Your print was overlapping the third so I had to lift it in the computer.  That took the longest."

"Cut the crap, will you?  To whom does the third fingerprint belong?"  Eriol demanded in irritation.

"Some guy called Kazuma Mizutani.  I already did a background check.  He's a doctor based here in Tomoeda.  Specializes in pediatric psychiatry although he's well known for practicing family medicine."

Suspicion was already forming in Eriol's mind and from the grin on his colleague's face he surmised that he was on the right track.  Heck, the guy's lunch was already forgotten on the table from excitement.  He leaned closer and motioned for Egami to continue.

"So I hacked into his computer.  Oh, you wouldn't believe how easy it was.  Probably wasn't expecting us to come this close.  I bet he just let his secretary..."

"Egami!"

"What?  Oh, right.  First I looked at his schedule.  And guess what?  He travels from time to time for duration of a week for some seminar or something.  It's got everything—dates and places.  And it goes back for almost fifteen years.  So I got suspicious so I checked out his patient list."

"Please tell me the girls' names are there."

"Every single one of them!"

"Including Tomoyo?"

"_Including_ her.  Man, you should see his files on her.  Detailed down to the last dot.  And his picture of her is not just some ID shot.  He's got lots of them from birth to adolescence and some snap shots that looked like recent.  All the other patients just have one, two at most."

"Eriol didn't know if he should cry out in success or mutter a curse.  One thing he is sure though...they got their guy.

To be continued...

**BISHLOV:**  Not much of a chapter but it does explain some things.  Thanks for all the lovely reviews.  Replies to them are in my email notice.


	11. Tomoyo

**BISHLOV:**  *sigh* this did not come out as creepy as I wanted.  Oh well...ENJOY!!!

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own CCS or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**AMETHYST EYES**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 11

The chair was brought back to the middle of the room.  Sitting on it was Tomoyo with Keiko on her lap.  The once dark room was now bathed with a beam of sunlight, forming a rectangular spotlight on the two.  Tomoyo tried to be brave for the girl but her heart pounded hard against her chest in time with their captor's footsteps as he walked in front of them in a leisurely pace.

She felt like a cornered prey waiting for the predator to dive in for the kill.

Her brain was all muddled up with numerous questions mixed with the feelings of shock, betrayal, anger and fright.  This man whom she once thought as the most kind-hearted person she has ever met turned out to be a wolf disguised in sheep's clothing.

Looks could really be deceiving.  Even now he didn't look too menacing in that impeccable business suit and handsome, clean-shaven face.  But Tomoyo knew better.  No man who could do these things to innocent children could be harmless.

He's an animal...a madman.

Keiko started sobbing against her chest.  She tightened her hold on the girl, ready to protect her at all costs.  She was here because of her.  If something bad happens to the child she could never forgive herself.  Somehow they'd be able to escape.  She'd make sure of it.  Eriol would make sure of it.

With renewed courage, Tomoyo dared to look up at the man.  "Why are you doing this?"

Dr Kazuma Mizutani stopped pacing and turned to look at her.  Half of her wanted to berate herself for opening her mouth and drawing attention to herself while the other half wouldn't let her just sit there passively.  That latter half kept her face from showing the fear that gnawed her stomach as the man walked up to them and reached to tip her head up.

"Why?  Isn't it rather obvious, my Tomoyo?  I'm doing this because I love you," he said as he gave a sickeningly sweet smile.  He bent over, drawing his face closer to hers, aiming for her lips.

She barely managed to escape the kiss due to his firm grasp on her chin.  She was able to turn her head at the last possible second causing his lips to brush her cheeks instead of her lips.  Amethyst eyes flashed in disgust and met ice blue eyes.  An involuntary shiver coursed through her body as she realized the degree of his coldness in those eyes.  They say that the eyes are the mirrors to the soul.  It was only now that she could see her doctor's soul.

"Don't call me that," she hissed.  "I'm not yours nor will I ever be yours.  And don't you use me as an excuse to your sick mind."

"Ahh, but it is the truth.  I _do_ love you and you _are_ mine."

To her relief, Kazuma released his grip on her and took a few steps back.  He reached inside his coat pocket and took out a gold cigarette case.  She watched as he took a stick and tapped it on the case.  Weird as it may seem, a part of her didn't want him to light that cigarette.

"I delivered you, did you know that?"  _Tap._  "Six and a half pounds."  _Tap._  "You looked like the usual newborns."  _Tap, tap._  "Nothing special."  _Tap._  "But I was wrong."

She knew she should be irritated with his tapping but instead the sound and the movement of his hand mesmerized her.  Why did this man have such a bewildering effect on her?

"The moment you opened your eyes I knew I was wrong.  Such beautiful colors.  Amethysts.  Your eyes were like the gems only warmer.  Babies' eyes change color a few weeks after birth but I knew that yours would remain the same.  At that moment I fell in love with you.

I changed my life for you.  I shifted from obstetrics to pediatrics.  I know everything about you...your every sickness...your every vaccination...even how your mind works.  You see, you're my life Tomoyo."

"You're sick," Tomoyo spat out.  "That's not love.  That's obsession."

"Love...obsession...what's the difference?"  He waved the unlit cigarette around.  "By the time you were seven I felt discontent.  I wanted you for myself.  So I stole you from your mother.  She deserved it.  She wasn't giving you the love and attention that was rightfully due to you.  She always left you alone with that pathetic nursemaid of yours.  I would have done much better taking care of you.  They don't deserve you.  I do."

She could tell that the man was starting to get carried away with his own story.  His voice was starting to get huskier from emotions and his eyes were getting a crazed glint.  If those hadn't unnerved her, his next movement did.

Kazuma had wandered to the wall while talking, once in a while looking back at Tomoyo with a smirk.  He balled his hands to a fist, crushing the cigarette inside.  Then he punched the cement wall several times with all of his might.  She wished that it had hurt him but knew that a psychotic man like him probably relished the pain if he had felt any at all.

She was right because he just looked at his bloodied fist in wonder.  He took a handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped his hand with it.  The crushed cigarette fell to the ground and his eyes followed the movement with a frown.

"I was very angry when you managed to escape from here.  But I was proud too.  My lovely amethyst eyes had brains to complement her beauty.  I searched for you but you had gotten such a big head start.  The next thing I knew I was being summoned by your mother to perform a physical and mental exam on you.

I was reluctant to go of course lest you identify me as your abductor.  But what can I say...you had me wrapped around your little fingers.  You had me addicted to your eyes.  I was surprised that you did not recognize me.  I deduced that your selective memory loss was the result of shock and fear.  Your young imaginative mind had only identified a 'shadow man' as your abductor.

And of course there was that risk that you'd remember everything once you've rested and the trauma has passed.  So I suggested to your mother that we use hypnotism to repress your memory."

Something about what he last said made Tomoyo realize something.  It made sense now why her mind was not totally in her control the night before...why despite her inner struggle that large part of her mind still made her go willingly to this man...why with just one order from him her body follows.

"You bast—," she managed to cut herself off.  Keiko was still a quiet and frightened bundle in her arms.  It would do the girl no good if she realized that her companion was distraught too.  "You messed with my mind, didn't you?  You didn't just repress my memory.  You did something else too."

"How astute of you to notice.  Yes, I did more than just that.  The brain is like a computer and hypnotism is nothing more than programming that computer.  I 'programmed' you to come back to me by full moon.  But you never did."

He gave a creepy humorless laugh and went to the bookshelf.  He toyed with the cloth that covered the detested jars.  "I guess I wasn't such a good hypnotist then as I thought.  Your mother didn't bring you back for more sessions so I wasn't able to correct what went wrong.  I couldn't get you because of your bodyguards.  So what's a man to do?"

"A sane man would have given himself up to the police."  Deep inside Tomoyo was asking herself why she's even listening to this man.  His gun was already tucked in his pants.  The door that would lead to the upper level of the house was wide open.  She and Keiko could make a run for it when he has his back turned.

The truth was she wanted to hear his story.  She wanted to know what else he did to her in order to break from his bond.  She wanted to know what he did to those other girls and where he hid their bodies.

Closure.  She's staying because she wanted...no, needed closure.

"Perhaps you were right.  Perhaps I am too obsessed.  When I couldn't get you, I tried to forget you.  But I couldn't so I settled for the next best thing."  He uncovered the canisters and picked up what she could surmise as his first victim.  For what seemed like forever he stared at those eyes and they stared back at him.

Keiko chose that moment to brave a look at the 'bad man'.  She saw those eyes before but it was dark then and could barely see them despite knowing what they were.  But now, in broad daylight, those eyes were too much to take for a seven-year-old girl.  She started screaming and climbed higher on Tomoyo's lap.

"Hush, chibi-chan, I won't let him hurt you."  Tomoyo tried to calm the hysterical girl.  Who could blame the kid?  She herself was trying very hard not to be affected by the sickening sight but could feel the bile rising from her stomach.  Only her hate for the man kept her from throwing up.

The sounds coming from the girl brought out Kazuma from his trancelike stare at the eyes.  He walked back to them bringing along the glass canister.  "Lovely aren't they?  See, Keiko-chan, your eyes are as lovely as theirs."

The child only screamed louder when the container was all but shoved to her face.  Kazuma was not teasing her.  He was too far-gone with his thoughts to realize that he's only upsetting her.  Tomoyo pushed the girl's face to her chest in an attempt to hide her.

"Get that away from us," she yelled but her words fell on deaf ears.

"But they're not as beautiful as your amethyst eyes, Tomoyo," he continued on as though nothing happened.  "They did not satisfy me.  Oh, don't give me that look.  I'm no pervert.  I had no desire on their bodies...just their eyes."

He replaced the eyes back among the others but went back to her and caressed her cheek lovingly, much to her disgust.  "But you, my Tomoyo, I want all of you...not just your amethyst eyes."

She jerked her face from him and slapped his wounded hand away.  Kazuma grinned back, amused at her show of fire.  The more she gets angry, the more her eyes glitter like the gems they were compared to.  "And then you came back to me.  I don't know what happened...why you had those dreams...those visions.  But I grabbed the opportunity.  I decided we could play a little game.  I kidnapped those other girls to get your attention.  And it did.  Daidouji-san brought you back to me again and again.  I used those sessions to make sure that my new 'program' was flawless.

I made sure that you would come to me by my seventh."

"That's why you changed your MO.  That's why you made sure that there were witnesses to Keiko's abduction.  So that I would get a message."

"Of course.  See, you and I belong to each other.  You understand me so well as I you."

"Shut up!  You don't know anything about me.  Why did you kill those girls?  Why did you take their eyes?"

"Because they're not you.  It's as simple as that.  I saved these eyes not because I wanted trophies.  Oh no.  I'm not that selfish.  I wanted to share them with you so that you'll see how special you are.  So that you'll know that your amethyst eyes are the most beautiful."

Tomoyo had enough of this.  The man was definitely sick...completely insane!

She whispered something to the girl while she waited for the still rambling psycho to come close.  When he did, she kicked him in the groin with all of her might.  She placed Keiko on her feet and the girl promptly ran to the open door.  Tomoyo stayed behind long enough to pick up the chair and slam it on the rousing man.

She raced to the door taking two steps at a time.  Keiko was waiting for her in the hallway.  They locked the door and jammed it with a nearby chair for good measure.  Tomoyo grabbed the girl's hand and went off to search for a way out.

They went from room to room but all of the doors were nailed shut as well as the windows.  When they reached the last room there was still no possible way out except for a small window but it was a bit high to reach.  Tomoyo started ransacking the drawers and cabinets for a hammer, knife or crowbar...anything she could use to pry the door open.  When she couldn't find anything she started pulling frantically on the boards that blocked the door.

And then a gunshot was heard.  A second later the sounds of a body slamming against the basement door came to them.  She knew that it would only take him a while to break the door.  She looked around in panic.  Having no other choice, she crouched down in front of the girl to talk to her.

"Listen, Keiko, I need you to brave for me.  Do you see that window up there?  I'm going to boost you up so you can climb out and get out of here.  Do you understand?"

"But what about you?"  Tears started to come out of her eyes again.

"I'll be fine.  Don't worry about me.  He won't hurt me."  _I hope.___

Tomoyo indicated for Keiko to sit on her shoulder.  She cried to the girl to reach up for the window, hoping all the while that the girl would fit through the small opening.  "Push yourself up.  That's it.  You can jump down.  It's not that high.  You could do it and when you get outside look for the stream.  I think...no, I know there's one around here.  Go downstream and when you find people ask them to call for the police.  Tell them to look for Hiiragizawa.  Can you remember that?  Can you do that?"

The girl let out a small 'hai' and then shrieked when a loud bang sounded from the basement.

"Go!"  Tomoyo yelled for she knew that Kazuma was coming.  She watched the girl maneuver herself to the opposite side of the wall.  She saw her little fingers let go of its hold and heard a short scream as she fell.

_God, please, let her be safe_, she prayed before rushing out of the room to find a hiding place.

To be continued...


	12. Eriol

**DISCLAIMER:  I do not own CCS or any of its characters.  CLAMP DOES.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.******

**AMETHYST EYES**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 12

Twelve men dressed in black, topped with bullet proof vests and clutching long rifles silently scattered to surround the cabin at a distance.  It was late afternoon and everyone was anxious to finish this operation before the sun sets.  It would be a lot harder to catch the suspect, not to mention more dangerous, in these woods.

But none was more anxious than Eriol Hiiragizawa.

He didn't notice that he was donning borrowed uncomfortable SWAT uniforms and heavy vest.  His attention was focused on the cabin while trying to shut out unnerving images of Tomoyo with that despicable man.  All day he had been praying that she was okay and that Kazuma had not dared to touch her.  He prayed much more fervently now as his nerves were stretched to the limit.  That cabin was quiet.  Much too quiet.

It took them a few more hours to go through the list of the doctor's properties, send out dispatches to them and inquire about his whereabouts.  Certain that they got their guy and that he was currently on leave according to his secretary, Eriol and his men came out with crude plans on how to retrieve the two abducted girls while waiting for Tokyo's SWAT team to arrive.  A small, quiet town like Tomoeda didn't have enough trained manpower that could help them.

Movements to his left caught his attention.  He waited for Nakajima and Hirayama, the leader of the SWAT team, to join him.  "Everything in order?"

"Yeah," Nakajima panted through the heavy equipment.

"My men are in cloud nine.  This place's heaven for us.  No civilians, plenty of trees for cover and lots of windows around the cabin," Hirayama crouched behind the tree beside Eriol's.

"I doubt if the victims inside regard this place as heaven.  In fact, I'd say its hell for them," Eriol grimaced.

"Yeah, well, can't do anything about that except to get them out of there ASAP.  My men are at your beck and call."

"Ask your snipers if they see anything inside the cabin."

"You heard him boys," Hirayama adjusted his earpiece then positioned his rifle to the window on their side of the cabin.  "No movements here."

Through their earpieces that served as two-way radios, each group affirmed the same thing.  Several minutes passed by as they waited patiently.  Nakajima was the first to break the silence.  "Are you sure they're inside?"

"Very sure," Eriol swiped a sweat from his forehead.  "He's fancy.  That's his haven.  Not to mention that his car is up front."

"Could be a decoy."

"No.  He's there.  I can feel it.  What do we do now?"  Eriol was getting restive.  Though he's the head of this operation, he doesn't have that much of experience in this type of situation.

"Let's try to get in.  Beta and Delta, check the doors.  Snipers, stay in position."

"Roger," came the unified replies.  Each team except for Alpha has two SWATs and another cop from Eriol's original team.  Alpha team was comprised of Eriol, Nakajima and Hirayama.  Beta team was situated at the front of the house while Delta team was at the back.  Alpha and Charlie were at the sides.  Soon they heard a sound of metal to metal as the others picked the locks.

"Negative, Alpha.  I can't get in."

"Back door's negative too.  Seems like they're blocked from the inside."

"Damn!  Go back to your positions."

"Can't we force our way in," Eriol asked Hirayama.

"I don't think it's wise.  If what you said is true and they're in the basement, we won't be able to guarantee the hostages' safety.  It would take us some time and a lot of noise to open the door plus a couple of minutes more to locate the basement.  By then, the suspect will know our arrival and might be forced to do some drastic measures."

"So we're just going to sit here and do nothing," Eriol said back in incredulity.

"We'll see if there will be changes within thirty minutes."

"Thirty minutes!  That's enough to kill someone and dig their eyes out!"

"Calm down, Hiiragizawa," Nakajima said, "you said he was fanciful.  If he was then he'd already killed the girl last night.  He won't kill Daidouji-san just yet.  He's too obsessed with her.  But if we corner him now he just might do something to her."

At that very moment a gunshot was heard.

_Tomoyo!  Eriol felt all of the blood leave his face and flowed to his suddenly erratic heart.  Nakajima managed to nab on Eriol before he could bolt to the cabin and jeopardize the operation.  Hirayama was busy issuing out orders._

"Delta to Alpha, I see movements at the open window.  It's the kid!  She's trying to climb out.  Permission to retrieve her."

"Permission granted.  All units have the green flag.  Get in there as fast as you can."

Eriol elbowed Nakajima off him then dashed to the window at their side of the house.  He slammed the handle of his handgun against the glass.  Hirayama tried to remove the remains of the shattered window from the sill with the butt of his rifle but Eriol was already climbing in despite of cutting his hands raw.  He became more frantic when he heard her scream.

He followed the sound like a beacon.  Soon he found himself at what seemed like the door that led to the basement.  Another gunshot was heard and he became more crazed.  He almost tumbled down the stairs in his haste.  He swung his gun around the room but found no one.  At the corner of his eyes he saw a trap door on the floor.

"Hiiragizawa, wait!"  Hirayama shouted his warning but the other cop ignored it and went down the passageway.  Five seconds later, the ground shook as a bomb was set off to close the trap door.

Nakajima, Hirayama and some of the other cops coughed and waited for some of the dust to settle.  The two crouched down at the opening that's now blocked with big rocks and packed dirt.

"Do you think he made it?"  Nakajima asked after they got no response from their calls.

"God, I hope so," Hirayama answered back, although by the tone of his voice he wasn't expecting any miracles.  "Delta, watch the cabin and stay with the girl.  Beta, Charlie, spread out and search the woods.  The tunnel's bound to end up somewhere."

~Scene Change~

Eriol gained consciousness just a few minutes after the roof behind him collapsed.  Several rocks had fallen on him, one of which knocked him unconscious.  The sting on his forehead and the pounding on his skull told him that he didn't escape the cave-in unscathed.  He felt around for his eye glasses and automatically wiped the lenses with the sleeves of his shirt despite it being dirtier than the specs.  He tried contacting the others through his earpiece but all he got was static.

He waited for his eyes to adjust to the semi-darkness.  Behind him, thin columns of light penetrated the stacked rocks and dirt.  The first thing he noticed was that both of his lenses were cracked.  Knowing that his broken glasses would only hinder his sight rather than help it, he threw the frame aside and squinted ahead of him.  He could still see some things albeit a tad blurry.

He pushed himself on his feet and went forward the tunnel.  It wasn't long that what little light he had vanished and cast him in pitch blackness.  It made him slower.  Much as he wanted to get to Tomoyo fast, he couldn't risk stumbling down and breaking his leg or neck.  Those falling rocks had probably knocked some sense in him.  Good thing they did…

He was Tomoyo's only chance.

By the time he caught glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel, his hands were already raw from grazing the sharp rocks that protruded the wall.  He brushed aside the hanging vines that curtained the opening and squinted a bit at the remaining orange light that's being emitted by the setting sun.  One look around the area and he knew where he was.

He was back in the woods where they lost Tomoyo.  And around fifty meters to the south was the clearing where she disappeared.  He, himself, had gone this far to search for her last night.  And he combed the area at least twice but the dense vines that covered the mouth of the cave plus the darkness of the night had thrown him off track.

With grim determination, he ran towards the clearing.  Pretty soon he was hearing her muffled cries.

Panic coursed throughout his body as vivid images of what the psycho was doing to her kept on flashing in his mind.  It made him sweat some more despite the cold tremor running through him.  He ran as fast and yet as stealthily as he could.  His mind started blocking the disturbing images of a tortured Tomoyo and instead replaced them with ideas on how he could torture Kazuma Mizutani.

He positioned himself behind a trunk and cautiously peeked with his gun out and ready.  Kazuma was trying to drag Tomoyo to a hiking trail that led to a secluded parking lot.  Placing his gun back in its holster, Eriol moved quietly behind them and tackled the other man to the ground.  Tomoyo was alert enough to wring his hold from her and prevented herself from being dragged to the ground.

Eriol, being stronger and more agile, had the upper hand.  The tackle was short-lived and after several solid punches (and then some), Kazuma was knocked unconscious.  He wearily stood up and kicked the guy's gun out of the way.  He only got to go several steps before he fell to the ground again, this time with Tomoyo atop him.

"Are you okay?"  It took all of his remaining strength to hug her shaking form as close to his body as he could.  He buried his face against her disheveled yet soft hair and let her scent calm him.

"You came," she whispered against his chest.

"Of course I came.  I promised I won't let him hurt you, didn't I?"  He pushed them up in a sitting position then tipped her face up to his.  "He didn't hurt you did he?"

She shook her head, amethyst eyes bright with tears of relief and delight.  Eriol would have kissed her then…would have said the words that kept on echoing at the back of his mind ever since he met her again a week ago.  But movements behind them brought him back to the situation at hand.  He quickly stood up, pulling Tomoyo behind him and pointed his gun at the roused man.

Eriol glared at Kazuma, at his calmness despite being held at gunpoint.  He had been lighting a cigarette using the built-in lighter of his gold plated case.  The glowing amber end of the stick stood out against the twilight, making Eriol recall about that flickering light his men had seen before Tomoyo disappeared.  A thin cloud of smoke went their way but Eriol didn't leave his gaze off the other man, especially now that he was trying to stand up.  The older man was either too confident or just plain stupid.  He was acting as though he has no care in the world, especially for someone who's about to be locked in jail for the next century (if he was lucky).

"Put you gun away, detective.  I'm unarmed, you know that."  Kazuma waved his cigarette-bearing hand around.

"Yeah, right," Eriol snarled back and retrieved his handcuffs.  "You'd like that wouldn't you?  Hands in the air."

Kazuma did as told but still kept on that annoying smirk.  "I wouldn't wave that gun around too much if I were you.  You might hurt somebody."

"As if I care if you get shot.  In fact I'd probably enjoy seeing you dead."

"Ah, but would you enjoy it if Tomoyo-chan was the one dying because of your own hands?"

And then Tomoyo was in front of Kazuma, blocking him from Eriol's gun with her own body.

"Tomoyo!"

"Stay right there, detective.  And do put your gun away.  Tomoyo, dear, please fetch my gun.  I believe it's somewhere to your left.  There's a good girl."

"Tomoyo, don't!"  Eriol shouted but of course was ignored.  He shifted his gun from Kazuma to Tomoyo then back to the psycho, unsure of what's going on and what he should do.  "You!  What did you do to her?!!"

"Aw, come on, detective.  Surely you could guess by now, seeing that you already met the skeleton in my closet," he took a deep puff of the cigarette and leisurely exhaled the smoke.  Tomoyo returned to his side and he smiled at her.  "Thank you, dear.  Now point the gun at our friend here since he's too rude to point his gun elsewhere."

Eriol could only glare at the man in rage.  There was no use reasoning with either of them.  Kazuma was too crazed…too obsessed.  While Tomoyo was too far gone from reality.  He could see it from the lack of expression on her face and the dark dullness of her amethyst eyes.  He should have realized sooner that Kazuma did more than repress her memories.  The bastard had obviously put her in a hypnotic trance that could make her do his every bidding.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't put a bullet in your head," Eriol growled, taking a step forward.

"You mean aside from Tomoyo shooting back?"  He lit another cigarette then stepped on the old one.  He brushed some raven locks from her face and neck and placed his palm on her small back.  "If you kill me now then my little amethyst eyes will forever stay this way…beautiful but without a will of her own.  You see, only I can control her…only I can have her."

"Never!  Over my dead body!"

"That could be arranged.  I'm getting tired of this game.  Tomoyo-chan, shoot him in the head.  He would have done the same to me."

A long tense silence passed between them.  Eriol still had his gun trained on Kazuma but his eyes was on Tomoyo.  With his eyes he pleaded for her to wake up, begged her to come back to him.  A brief change in her facial expression gave him hope but was quickly dashed to the ground.

"Tomoyo, do it now!"  Kazuma impatiently flicked his cigarette.

And then the silence was broken by the sound of a single gunfire.

To be continued…

**BISHLOV NOTES:**

Aw, come on!  Don't tell me you didn't see it coming.  By now you should know I'm sick enough to throw another cliffhanger.  This chapter's ending is practically clichéd.  But you have to admit that its effect is still pretty d*mning.

I made a booboo somewhere in this chapter but was too lazy to think of an alternate scene.  I wonder if someone noticed.

Now I wonder how many more death threats I'm gonna get this time…

KISSY THANKS MINNA-SAN!!!


	13. Tomoyo

**BISHLOV:**  It's been a long time ne?  Sorry for the delay.  I would have posted this earlier but there were circumstances that prevented me from doing so.  I don't like this chapter very much but it's the best I could do.

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own CCS or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

AMETHYST EYES 

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 13

It was a beautiful day.  A perfect day to lay souls to rest.  Tomoyo felt different emotions clamor inside her chest.  She felt sorrow because so many lives were lost and, at the same time, relieved because the brunt of everyone's nightmare was finally over.

If only she could truly be happy then this day would no doubt be perfect.  At the back of her mind she could see herself pulling the trigger of the despicable gun and the memory of the loud sound made her eyes close involuntarily.  But the darkness only made her see Eriol all the more clearly as his face briefly register pain before falling at the impact of the bullet.

A touch on her elbow brought her out of her reverie.  She smiled at the kindly woman for bringing her out of her disturbing thoughts.  The woman was a parent of one of the unfortunate victims of the psychotic doctor.  The others were present too.  Them plus several family members and close friends surrounded the five graves.  They had decided not to separate their unearthed bodies and bury them side-by-side in Tomoeda's exclusive memorial grounds.

Tomoyo knelt beside the loose soil to bid her final farewell.

You can rest now, little ones.  He can't haunt you anymore nor can her hurt any others again.  You can be with your families again, watching over them from heaven.

And as if in answer, the wind brushed against her, kissing her skin in the lightest way.  Deep inside she believed that it was the girls' way of telling her that they forgive her just as their families had forgiven her.  With a soft smile, she stood up and accepted two balloons from Hikaru Takenori's young brother.  They were of different colors.  One was purple, as beautiful and unique as their eyes, and the other was white to signify the purity of their souls.

After the priest finished the final prayer, she and the others released the balloons.  Their eyes followed the upward movement and marveled as they complemented the clear blue sky.  All of the people present thought of one thing...that their loved ones be as free as the balloons.

Little by little, the crowd thinned but she stayed on for an hour more, relishing what little peace the ceremony brought on.  There were still other things bothering her but knew that only time could set her mind at ease.

"Megume...Feye...Hikaru...Umi...Ayame...Sayonara.  May you find your way to Kami's side."

With those whispered words she shed, what she hoped, the last tears of guilt.  It would take her quite a while before she could forgive herself but she was learning how.  She climbed in the waiting car and asked for the chauffeur to drive her to her next destination.  For the past two weeks ever since the nightmare ended she had been actively seeing a new shrink.  One who was qualified and trusted enough to relieve her of her burden as well as 'unprogram' her from Kazuma's hypnotism.  It would take a long time, she knew, but she's more than determined to put her life back together and restore normalcy to the most possible extent.

As they approached the gates of the memorial garden, she saw a bunch of people waiting for them outside.  She was expecting the media people to show up for the ceremony while at the same time hope that they'd find some other controversy to stick their noses into.  No such luck though.  Tomoyo grimaced as she shoved her dark glasses on and tried her best not to slouch on her seat.  The reporters tried to get her attention and the photographers clicked their cameras to their hearts' content.  But she just looked straight ahead and ignored them as best as she could.

Word had leaked out about her connection to the kidnappings.  Not about her being the first victim for that was a well-guarded secret until such time when court proceedings would force the truth out.  Someone from the Tomoeda Police Department hinted to the media that the scandal she was involved in years ago was connected to the girls' disappearances.  People concluded that she was a 'reliable' psychic not the sham she was accused of before.

She found herself at the center of unwanted attention.  All types of people wanted to get hold of her.  Reporters wanted an interview.  Producers wanted exclusive rights to her life story.  Other psychics wanted a tête-à-tête and share visions over a cup of tea.

_Of all the insane things!_

For once in her entire life she was grateful of the bodyguards her mother insisted she brought along with her.  They made sure no one bothered her.  Not a single unauthorized call was passed to her and not a single irritating stranger darkened her doorstep.  Anyways, it wasn't as if any intelligent person would force himself or herself to enter Sonomi Daidouji's lair.  Tomoyo decided to stay there for the time being until the entire brouhaha fades away.

But she did entertain a certain group of strangers.  They were the family and friends of missing children asking, no, begging for her help.  She wanted to help, there was no doubt about that.  But she could not even if her head split in trying.  There's no doubt in there too.  She wasn't born with such power nor did she develop it in a natural way.  She was manipulated and the only reason why she saw what she saw in her dreams was because she was closely tied to both the abductor and victims.

She empathized with those people but can't help them.  The best she could do was invite them in her home, explain her side the best she could, and offer hope and prayers.  It was not enough, she was sure, it could never be enough compared to the fear and desperation they were suffering.  But those were the only things she could offer, nothing more.

One and a half hour later, she was standing inside her psychiatrist's Tokyo clinic, peering through the drawn blinds.  She felt Ohmae-sensei's eyes on her but knew she wouldn't force her to speak.  It was not her style, especially if the exorbitant rate per hour she was getting from her mother for her treatment was to be considered.

"Some people really need to have a life," Tomoyo muttered as she observed several persistent reporters across the road.

"Oh, they have a life," the shrink replied guessing what she was referring to.  "They provide entertainment to those people who have no lives.  Do they bother you?  Do you want me to call some reinforcements?"

"No.  No good will come out if I make a spectacle out of myself some more.  Best if we leave them be."

She felt the other woman observe her more closely and it creeped her out a bit.  After all, that's the story of her life, isn't it?  The most unfortunate specimen under the microscope of life.  The eyes on her would never disappear as long as she provides a good scandal.

Speaking of scandal...

"The trial's going to start next month.  Kazuma-sensei pretty much has his hands full.  Eight counts of kidnapping, five counts of murder and another for manslaughter.  Do you think his insanity plea will stand?"

"Is that your real question or are you asking me if he's really insane?" the psychiatrist jotted some more notes.

"I guess so," Tomoyo finally sat down on the disgustingly comfortable sofa.

"Maybe he is insane.  I can't really say for sure since I never met the guy long enough to make an observation.  Off the record though I do hope that the court finds him sane so they could sentence him justly.  Evil has no place even in an asylum."

"I don't think I can face him again."

"I'm afraid you have no choice in that matter.  You have to testify against him and in order to do that you have to face him.  What are you so afraid of?  That he'd be able to control you again?  That's highly unlikely."

"It's not that.  Whenever I would see his picture on TV or in the newspaper, I'm reminded of the guilt of hurting so many people."

"It's not your fault those children died, Daidouji-san."

"But it's my fault, what happened to Eriol."

She shot him.  It was plain and simple.  Granted that she was under mind control then but still she should have been strong enough to resist.  Her love should have been strong enough.

The sound of the gunshot had broken the spell.  But by the time she could move on her own it was all too late.  The damage had been done.  The gun was fired and Eriol was lying unconscious on the ground, blood coming out from his head.

~Flashback~

No.

She felt all blood drain from her face.  She was about to run to him but was prevented by a warning hand on her elbow.  She instantly faced the person and pointed the gun at him.  "You!  How could you!  Look what you've done.  You made me kill him."

Tomoyo knew she was at the brink of insanity.  She waved the gun threateningly and kept on crying out hysterically.  Each time the man tried to put her back under his hypnotic spell with his cigarette and voice, she retaliated by taking a threatening step closer with her finger ready to press the trigger.  She didn't know how long they stayed that way.  When the red haze lifted from her vision, Nakajima was already gingerly taking the gun away from her and Kazuma was sprawled on the ground being handcuffed by men she'd never seen before.

And Eriol...he was still bathing in his own blood.

~End of Flashback~

Tomoyo left even before her hour was up.  She was more than restless today.  Her mind, no matter how hard she tried not to, would always shift to that indigo-haired man.  She might as well go to him and face him.

It was a short ride.  She would have walked but the paparazzi were after her.  As soon as she entered his room, the guilt came slamming back at her.  He hadn't changed.  Two weeks and his condition was still the same.  She supposed she should thank the heavens that he was still alive but seeing him lying there almost lifeless with different machines hooked up to his body was getting harder and harder each day.

She had put him there.  She was the one who fired the gun, its bullet almost breaking the left side of his skull.  The doctors said he was lucky.  A millimeter more and the bullet would have made minced meat out of his brain.  But the danger was still there.  The trauma was massive, rendering him in a comatose.  For how long, it was up to him.

Perhaps his injury really wouldn't let him wake up.

Or perhaps he just didn't want to wake up.

Perhaps he was mad at her for betraying him.

Perhaps he didn't want her near, didn't want her to be the first thing he sees.

Perhaps I should just leave him alone.  I've done enough trouble already.  He doesn't need any more complications.

She was aiming for his cheek.  Truly she was.  But somehow her kiss landed on his lips.

"Goodbye, love."

To be concluded...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  MAY YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES HAVE A PEACEFUL, BLESSED AND PROSEPEROUS 2003!!!


	14. Eriol

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own CCS or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

AMETHYST EYES

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 14

He woke up the day after she said good-bye.

That was two months ago.  He never saw her again nor had he heard from her either.  In the hospital, still weak, he asked for her countless of times but his colleagues couldn't tell him anything about why Tomoyo couldn't or wouldn't come.  They could only recount what happened after that fateful incident when she was 'forced' to shoot him.

Once strong, he wasted no time trying to get hold of her.  He went to her apartment but she wasn't there.  He went to the Daidouji mansion but they wouldn't let him enter.  He tried to call her but she's always unavailable.

Why was she avoiding him?

Was it her idea or was Sonomi forbidding her any outside contact?

No.  She would never let her mother dictate her life again.

Was he the only one she'd been avoiding or was there others?

No, it was only him.  But why?

Eriol could only think of two reasons.  Either she's feeling guilty about shooting him or she does not love him anymore and did not like to be reminded of her mistake.

He prefers the first one better.

Actually he would like it more if she stopped this nonsense and talk to him but it looks like her mind's already set.  On what, he doesn't know.  He was sure of only one thing: he would never see her unless he does something about it.

"Oi, Hiiragizawa, do you copy?"

The loud crackle of his two-way radio broke through his dark musings.  He cursed himself rather loudly.  Good thing he was alone in the car where he was stationed.  Never before had he been so distracted.  And to think this stakeout was the most important he'd ever handled.  "Sorry about that.  I was thinking," he replied through the radio.

"Well stop it and focus at the task at hand," Nakajima replied.  "Our butts are on the line here and if Chief finds out about this..."

"He won't," he assured, his voice full of confidence he didn't feel.  They had gone behind their superiors' backs before.  Sometimes they were caught, sometimes they weren't.  They always got off the hook though.  But this was different.  If caught, they can kiss their badges good bye.

_No.  Think positive, Hiiragizawa.  Everything will turn out smoothly._

This wasn't the first time they'd forcefully 'invite' someone for an interview without a warrant.  But the circumstance of this case was different.  It was making his sweaty hands grip the steering wheel more tightly.

"Heads up," another voice was heard from the radio.  It was Egami.  He was the guy who lifted Kazuma's print from Tomoyo's angel brooch but right now he was posing as a valet.  On cue, guests started streaming out of the large estate.  For nearly an hour, Eriol and his men patiently waited for all the guests and hired help to leave.  And then he saw the target.

"On my signal," he radioed.  They waited for the newly weds to get in their limousine and drive off.  The moment the car disappeared from view, Eriol gave the signal to close in.

Several men dressed in black rushed from their posts and hiding places.  They were all cops but their attire made them look like nasty terrorists.  They held large guns and donned masks that covered their faces except for their eyes.  They couldn't risk being recognized.

Amidst the confusion, Egami slipped behind the target and put her to sleep by spraying a harmless sleeping concoction in her face.  He was already running off to the getaway vehicle when her bodyguards realized that their ward was being kidnapped.

"Tomoyo-sama!"

The bodyguards dared to draw their own weapons despite the ones pointed at them.  One was about to shoot the valet when she was stopped.

"Don't," Sonomi said in a calm voice.  One of the 'kidnappers' ordered the bodyguards to drop their guns and Sonomi nodded her consent.  The other kidnappers grabbed them with gloved hands.  They gathered the women, tied and blindfolded them.  The knots were tight enough to give them trouble and loose enough for them to work out after a few minutes.  It would buy Eriol and his men enough time to make their getaway.

The Daidouji matriarch was still whereas her bodyguards were frantic to untie the ropes on their hands and feet.  She wasn't worried about her daughter's safety.  In fact she knew that Tomoyo had never been safer.

Though muffled, she recognized the man's voice.  Besides, she'd know those blue eyes anywhere.

_You'd better make her happy or I'll have your head for this, Hiiragizawa._

~Scene Change~

Once they had reached the outskirts of Tomoeda, two of the cars from the convoy took a left turn at an isolated dirt road while three others honked their 'good lucks' as they went past and drove on to Tokyo.  The two cars stopped after a while and four men got out, two from each.  Nakajima and Egami got out from the lead car while Eriol and another cop got out from the one behind.  The four discussed their route and plan for a while then Eriol and Egami switched places.  Eriol got in the back of the lead car while Nakajima reclaimed his place in the driver's seat.

Eriol arranged his precious hostage closer to him with her head on his lap.  The backseat offered enough comfortable room for them although Tomoyo was curled up in an unconscious heap.  He reached at the space behind his head for the thick blanket, careful not to dislodge the small spray bottle he 'borrowed' from the crime lab.  He didn't want to take any chance in case the initial dose wears off before they reach their destination.

As soon as he finished covering Tomoyo with the blanket and found a more comfortable position, he allowed himself to study her.  It had only been two and a half months since he'd last seen her but it felt much, much longer.  She still looked as beautiful as ever but noticed that she lost a lot of weight.  Half of him wanted to frown at this knowledge while the other half secretly took pleasure that she looked as miserable as he.

He had spent many sleepless nights and equally disturbing days thinking about her.  He only hoped that her weight loss was because she was affected with their separation and not because she was still tormented by her past.  He brushed her cheek just below her silky lashes and trailed his fingers down to her lips which he traced with his thumb.

How he missed her!

Even now his eyes couldn't stop raking her delicate features, memorizing every inch just in case she disappears again.  But it wasn't enough.  It could never be enough.  If ever his plans don't work out…if ever she tries to run away again he'll follow her to the end of the world until she gives in and be his.  Come hell or hide, he'll make her his.  It may sound too sappy but he was desperate.

"I have to hand it to you, Hiiragizawa, I've heard of lots of techniques men use to get their women, even used some of them, but this tops the lot.  She must be some girl."  Nakajima said as he periodically observed Eriol through the rearview mirror.

"Yeah," he replied but didn't bother to look up.

A few more minutes of silence passed.  Nakajima still couldn't believe his eyes.  The elusive Eriol Hiiragizawa…smitten beyond words.  He surprised Nakajima.  Heck!  He surprised the whole division (minus their superiors) when he asked for their help.

Fact number one: Eriol Hiiragizawa is a one-man police department.  He _never asks for help.  Not unless he has already exhausted all possible solutions._

Fact number two: Eriol Hiiragizawa is the cleanest cop there is.  He _never uses his badge for personal reasons._

Fact number three: Eriol Hiiragizawa is a cold bastard.  A good cop…a decent friend…but a cold bastard.  At least he once was.

None of them, not even Eriol himself, had ever imagined that he'd ever find interest in another human being, least of all fall deeply and irrevocably in love with her.  Though who could blame him?  Tomoyo Daidouji, like Eriol, was one of a kind.

"You suit each other well," Nakajima voiced out.

Eriol finally looked up in confusion.  "Uh, thanks."

"Don't worry about the mother.  Chief Hanagata agreed to take care of her and promised to call me once she filed the report.  We could stall and probably buy you 24 to 36 hours.  That ought to give you enough time to fix things with your princess."

"Thanks.  I owe you guys."

"Nothing to thank us about.  You just provided us an entertainment that would last for a long while.  You've just unwittingly gave us something to pester you about.  Once you set foot in the precinct, you'd be sorry you ever called for help."

"Keh!  I'm starting to regret it already," Eriol replied in sarcasm.  But deep inside he didn't mind.  He knew of the consequences and he's willing to face them as long as everything turns out well between him and Tomoyo.

It took them almost two hours to reach the safe house hidden in the foot of a mountain.  Fortunately, their 'hostage' slept like a rock.  She didn't even stir when Eriol carried her into the cabin and deposited her on the bed.  Her exhaustion and need for rest was apparent.

By the time he managed to stop gazing at her, his men were all set to go.  The provisions were carried in.  The generator was ready for the night.  The car was brought to the back, hidden underneath the seats were his mobile phone and two-way radio in case things don't go as planned.

Nakajima handed him the set of keys.  He also gave him his handcuffs and a perverted grin.  "Just in case things get kinky," he explained.

Eriol's scowl would have gotten its desired effect had it not been for his sudden blush.  The guys gave him encouraging slaps on the back then left the cabin with unified laughs.  He stood there for a second then shook his head good-naturedly.  The guys would never let him live this down, he was sure of it.

He hid the cuffs and keys in one of the kitchen's overhead cupboard then proceeded to cook dinner.  Afterwards, he sat beside the bed and waited for Tomoyo to wake up.

He was on the verge of falling asleep himself when her head turned in the slightest movement and her lips parted to let out a soft sigh.  Eriol straightened from his very uncomfortable position and held his breath.  It wasn't long before amethyst eyes opened and took in her surrounding.  Her eyes roamed then widened in surprise and went back to his still form

"Eriol," she whispered.  The way she says his name never fails to evoke emotions in him.  At this moment there was a hunger he'd never known before, brought by months of imagining hearing her voice only to realize that he was fooling himself.

It wasn't fair.  Her hold on him wasn't fair.

But, God, it felt right.

He helped her sit up and waited for her to remember and piece everything together.  He knew from her gasp and accusing glare that she already did.  It wasn't hard to connect him to her latest abduction.  After all, he was still wearing his all-black outfit.

"What's going on?" she demanded, her eyes flashing in anger or some other deep emotion.

He tried to reach for her, to calm her, but stopped when she shirked away.  "I'm sorry, Tomoyo, really I am.  I know what a despicable thing I did considering your past trauma but I had no other choice.  I had to see you.  I _needed_ to see you."

From her eyes and facial expression, he could see her indecision teeter from anger and incredulity to acceptance and desire…desire to give in, if nothing else.  He decided to take the plunge, hoping that his words would reach her.

"I love you, Tomoyo."

It reached her all right.  There was a brief pleasure before her beautiful eyes hardened.  She threw the blanket aside then quickly stood up, so fast that her still fuzzy mind reacted.  He caught her but she shrugged his hands away once she was more or less composed.

"You said what you wanted to say, Hiiragizawa, now I demand you bring me home."

"No!"  Eriol grabbed her elbow and forced her to face him again.  "You've had your chance.  I gave you your space.  Now it's my turn.  I won't let you push me away again.  At least not until I know why you've been avoiding me."

"If I told you, would you leave me alone?"

He pretended to consider this for a while then smirked, "No."

"Of all the—!" she sputtered out then yanked her arm away.  She looked around then stormed out of the cabin.

He looked up and said a silent prayer to whichever heavenly being was listening in to give him strength then followed her outside for round two.

To be concluded…

**BISHLOV NOTES:**

[1] The LAST CHAPTER won't be up until I update my latest pet project "Passion".  I know, another stupid plugging but what the heck!  It's a Rika+Terada AU romance so if anyone's interested…

[2] About my CONTINUITY ERROR, it involves chapters 11 and 12.  In chap11, I wrote that Tomoyo checked all of the windows and doors if they were open so that she and the girl could escape.  In chap12, there were snipers who were watching the windows but didn't see Tomoyo checking them.  Those two scenes should have coincided but I was too lazy to edit it or change the flow of the plot.  So now you know.

[3] *Sniff sniff*  I'm gonna start thanking you guys now since this story is at its end.  I never expected this to have lots of readers since E+T is too common.  I owe the success of this fic to my reviewers because they pushed me and corrected me and cursed me and threatened my life and did everything possible in such small review boxes.  KISSY THANKS, MINNA-SAN!!!


	15. Tomoyo

**BISHLOV:**  Now this ending _really got me frustrated but I survived.  And I think Tomoyo's OOC here.  I couldn't concentrate on anything these days.  Oh well…I suppose this is the time for me to cry (because the fic has ended) and laugh (because the fic has ended) like the nutcase that I really am.  Thanks to all of you who supported this fic and even those who cursed me to hell and back.  I hope I can hear from you one last time…_

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own CCS or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**AMETHYST EYES**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 15

_Just great!  I should have known he would pull a stunt like this!_

"Where the heck are we?"  Tomoyo turned around to finally confront Eriol.  She'd been walking for more than ten minutes and she knew he was following close behind.  Ignoring him just simply won't make him disappear no matter how hard she tried nor can she transport herself to civilization upon will.

"Don't you like it here?  The view's great, lots of fresh air and it's peaceful too.  Best place to have a private conversation.  But what I like about this place is that you can't escape from me here."

The abominable man was leaning on a tree looking like he's having the time of his life.  God, how she wanted to wipe that grin off his face.  "I don't want to talk to you.  I'm going back to Tomoeda whether you like it or not."  She went back to walking down the dirt road.

"Yes, well, I guess you should know that's not the way to Tomoeda."

"And you tell me this just now?!" incredulous eyes widened.

"How should I know you weren't just going out for a leisurely stroll?"

He was deliberately provoking her, that's what he was trying to do.  She stomped to the other direction where she saw another trail.  "Honestly, Eriol, I'd bang your head to that trunk if only—"

"If only what?"

_If only I'm not head over heels in love with you._  But of course she kept mum about it.  She bit her tongue and started counting to calm her erratic heartbeat.

"By the way, you're going the wrong way again."

"I don't care.  I'm bound to end up somewhere."

"It's getting dark.  You'll freeze to death in these woods and lots of animals come out at night."

As if to prove his point, some wild, canine howl came out from somewhere nearby.  Tomoyo froze for a moment, braced herself then continued trudging along.  He went after her again, even went as far as to grab her elbow and force her to stop and look at him.

"Don't be so stubborn, Tomoyo.  We're miles away from civilization.  You'll just get lost."

Desperation and longing suddenly settled in over the anger which made her cry out, "What do you want from me?  Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"I already told you my reason."

"Love?  Is that it?" she fought the delicious warmth spreading all throughout her body.  "You don't love me.  You just felt sorry for me."

_Right.  Keep saying that and maybe he might just believe it._  Truth was she believes in him.  He really does love her, there's no doubt about that.  Only a man in love would go to such lengths to get her attention.  She should be glad.  She should be screaming with glee because the man she loves loved her back.

So why wasn't she?

Two reasons: guilt and insecurity.  How can she face him when she was the one who caused the deaths of five innocent children?  How can she look into his eyes when she was the one who almost took his life away?  How can he love her so much?  They have nothing in common.  He comes close to being perfect while she was nothing but a trouble-maker (albeit in an innocent way).  She was a jinx in everyone's lives, especially his.

Yes, she was being a tad hard on herself.  Who could blame her?  He was too good to be true.

Even now she could feel herself falling in love again after deluding herself for the past two months that she could live without him.  Ha!  That's a laugh.  Her life had become pointless ever since she left him.  _He_ was her life.

So why was she still denying him…and herself?

Damned if she knows.

"I want to go home," she declared in a desperate tone.  It was her sanctuary where she can hide from her demons.  It hurts whenever she was with Eriol.  She wanted to be with him but knew that she's bound to hinder and hurt him one way or another.

"All right," he replied in a quiet, accepting tone.  "Okay, I'll take you home.  Tomorrow.  No, don't give me that look.  You can hide behind your mother's skirt again tomorrow but tonight you're going to put up with me.  I have many questions and you're going to provide the answers."

Something akin to panic momentarily flashed in her eyes.  A whole night…alone…with Eriol…in the middle of nowhere.  Can she hold her ground?  Would she survive the night?  He knows he's got her cornered and judging from his smug look he won't give her a moment of peace.

_God, this is going to be a long night._

"Fine," she yanked her arm from his grasp and started to walk back to the cabin.  "But you'd better keep your word."

"I promise.  If by tomorrow you still want to go back to Tomoeda then I'll personally deliver you to your mother's doorstep."

"Stop saying that!"

"Stop saying what?"

"You make me sound like some…some pathetic spoiled brat."

"Are you?"

_Am I?  Of course not!  Pathetic, yes.  Spoiled, never!_  Now being a pathetic coward is a different matter for that's what she was.  And since she was partially affected by her own words, she decided not to answer Eriol's teasing question.

He chuckled lightly then steered her to another direction.  "Come on, love, let's get indoors before the mist settles in.  The way you're going we'd probably end up falling off a cliff."

_Yes.  Definitely a long night._

~*~

Early evening was spent in a tense silence.  Tomoyo was torn between relief and trepidation.  She was going to have to tell the truth not just for her peace of mind but mainly because Eriol would demand no less.

They were sitting in front of the fireplace.  There was no fire but she stared at the spot as though there were flames doing an exciting dance.  She would look at anything as long as it wouldn't stare back at her with confused blue eyes.  When he finally spoke up her every nerve endings reacted. By the time this night was over, she'd probably end up a nervous wreck.

"I heard the judge threw out Kazuma's insanity plea."

It wasn't what she was expecting and dreading to hear but she didn't want to talk about this new topic either.  Just hearing that madman's name could leave her cold all over.  "Yeah," she replied in a whisper.

"You don't sound too happy about it."

"I should be, shouldn't I?"  She picked up her mug of hot coffee in an attempt to warm her suddenly cold hands.  "Part of me is glad that the bast—…that man won't be able to escape his punishment via a mental institution."

"What about the other part?"

"I can't—I don't understand how he could do such horrible things if he wasn't insane.  It scares me that there could be other people like him out there, threatening innocent people.  Oh, Eriol, those poor girls.  They don't deserve to die like that."

She had promised herself that she would be strong…that she wouldn't cry anymore.  But here she was, barely able to contain her tears from spilling.  Those that escaped her closed lids fell on her hand and in her coffee with soft plops.

How can she be strong if she hadn't mourned their deaths yet?

How can she forget if she insists on storing the bad memories in her heart and mind?

How can she forgive herself if she hadn't asked forgiveness from the one she'd hurt most?

She was barely aware of anything but her stored-up misery.  She didn't notice Eriol releasing her shaky grip on the mug nor did she notice him hugging and comforting her.  Minutes later, she was curled up against him, her face buried in his neck, conscious that she had completely broken down in front of the man.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed, "I don't know what came over me."

"I do," he tightened his hold on her and hugged her more closely.  "You've been keeping everything inside, blaming yourself for things that weren't even your fault."

"But it _is_ my fault!  I'm the reason why—"

Eriol stopped her by placing his hand over her mouth.  "If you're going to say that you're the one who caused the deaths of those girls, I'm going to shake you hard until you get some sense in that beautiful head of yours.  It wasn't your fault that the monster you had for a doctor got a twisted, obsessed mind.  You didn't cause anything.  The man was already a mess before you were even born."

"But I—"

"And if you're going to tell me that you should have realized sooner and should have fought harder then I'm going to shake you again.  Do you want me to do that?  I didn't think so.  No one would have believed you.  Not with your mother calling the shots."

"But _you_ believed me."

"Yes, well, I had my doubts, remember?"

She finally shook her head in despair.  "You shouldn't have changed your mind.  You should have stayed away from me.  If only you did I wouldn't have—"

He cut her off again but this time with his lips.  She was shocked at first and even made a futile attempt to stop him but his kiss had already done its magic.  Every night, while she lay in bed, she would try to remember their first kiss in that motel.  She would always end up frustrated because, try as she might, she couldn't recall the feel of his lips on hers.

How could she have forgotten such a delicious feeling?  It was the only taste of heaven she ever had.  With this man, his arms around her, his lips on hers, she found heaven…and peace.

The wall that she had built around her heart started to crumble, her resolve disappearing into nothing.  She was so stupid to believe that she could resist him.  It was an impossible task especially when her own heart was betraying her.

When he finally lifted his head, Tomoyo vaguely realized they were lying on the couch, their bodies intertwined.  She fought to catch her breath and stop the blush creeping from her cheeks to every inch of her face and neck.

"Now if you're going to rattle on about shooting me then I won't kiss you again.  Do you want that?" his brows raised a fraction of an inch.

To her embarrassment, she couldn't keep herself from shaking her head into a 'no'.  His eyes held hers captive and in them she saw approval, relief…and love.  She knew that in hers he could see surrender.

"I'm so sorry, Eriol," she whispered, amethyst eyes shining with tears again.

"You didn't do anything wrong, love, but if it will make you feel better then I forgive you.  Don't blame yourself anymore.  I won't let you."

"Thank you."  She sighed in relief, feeling the weight in her heart being lifted.

The pain was gone but not forgotten.  Still, it was over.

_It could have been over sooner if you weren't too stubborn_, a voice pointed out.

_I know._  She wiped her tears with his shirt then looked up when he chuckled.

"Do you still want to go home?  If we get a move on I could get you there by midnight."

"No, thank you.  I'm quite comfortable right here…with you."

"Mmm.  Me too."  He then proceeded to reinforce her decision.  Much, much later, during one of their intermissions, Tomoyo remembered something.

"Don't you think we should call my mother to tell her I'm safe?  I don't want you to get into trouble."

"No.  I have a feeling that she already knows.  Are you happy, love?"

"Very…Did I…ever tell you…that…I…love…you?"  She punctuated each pause with a kiss.

"Once.  I have a copy of the tape.  Do you want to hear it?"

She shook her head, not really understanding what he was talking about.  Instead, she teased him back.  "I can say it again.  Do _you_ want to hear it?"

"Most definitely yes…"

"I love you, Eriol.  The only thing I could thank Kazuma for is you.  If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have met you again."

"Oh I have a feeling we would have met sooner or later.  We're meant for each other, my lovely amethyst eyes."

~OWARI~


End file.
